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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23490799">Everything I Wanted</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdeenBanner/pseuds/AdeenBanner'>AdeenBanner</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword &amp; Shield | Pokemon Sword &amp; Shield Versions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adult Content, Angst, Did I Mention Fluff, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff, Kind of smut, Smut, past coming back to haunt Zodi, tearjerker fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 09:21:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>62,114</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23490799</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdeenBanner/pseuds/AdeenBanner</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zodi returns to Galar after exploring the regions and completing her Pokedex. She surprises her boyfriend, Leon, Champion of Galar, and her best friend, Raihan, tamer of dragons, after one of their famous matches. Everything seems back to normal until feelings emerge and cause a mess in everyone's lives and some things from the past come back to get Zodi.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dande | Leon/Original Female Character(s), Kibana | Raihan/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>175</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter One:</p><p>	Leon walked into the locker room from the pitch, handing his pokeballs over to the league staff to have his pokemon healed. He smiled and thanked them as they walked away. He was, yet again, victorious against his friend and rival, Raihan. The cheers of the fans warmed his heart, hoping he was inspiring all of Galar to train and be strong like himself. He opened the locker to grab his bag only to hear the sound of someone clearing their throat. He waited.<br/>
“Hello, champion. I was beginning to wonder if you got yourself lost or something.”<br/>
He whipped around when he heard that silvery voice. His face brightened as he saw her sitting on one of the benches with a big warm smile on her face.<br/>
“Zodi?” Leon asked, not believing she was actually there.<br/>
Her smile never left her lips.<br/>
“Hey there, handsome.”<br/>
Before she could even process what was going on, Leon had already rushed over to her and swooped her up into his arms.  Zodi shrieked before laughing, wrapping her arms around his neck as he spun her around once. He placed her down on her feet, cupping her face and kissing her softly. Zodi returned his kiss, melting in his arms.<br/>
Leon hadn’t seen Zodi for almost a year since her last visit back to Galar. He still couldn’t believe she was actually there. He pulled away and lovingly stroked her long, mauve curls, getting lost in her amethyst eyes.<br/>
“You’re here…”<br/>
“Of course, I’m here! I couldn’t miss your big ‘rivalry’ match with Raihan, ya spoon.”<br/>
“How did you even get in here?” he inquired.<br/>
“You’re not the only one with celebrity status here, Mr. Champion.” She remarked sarcastically, hiding a grin.<br/>
“Oh, I forgot, I’m sorry.” He teased.<br/>
“Plus, I’ve got connections. You see, my boyfriend just happens to be the most famous person in Galar. He’s kind of a big deal.”<br/>
“Oh, is he now?” He grinned as he brought her to his chest, pressing his lips against the top of her head. “You’re really boosting my ego right now, aren’t you?”<br/>
She wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest.<br/>
“Maybe a little. Is it working?”<br/>
“Yeah, it’s working. You didn’t tell me you were coming home.”<br/>
“I wanted to surprise you! Now get your bag and pokemon and let’s get out of heeere. I want to see Raihan before he leaves. There’s so many things I need to talk to you about.”<br/>
“I can’t wait to hear about them.” he grabbed his things and his pokemon from the staff member. He grabbed her hand and stepped into the elevator with her. </p><p>	They stepped into the lobby. It was filled with people leaving the stadiums. The gym leaders were talking amongst themselves or talking amongst fans. Raihan wasn’t hard to pick out in the crowd. He towered over everyone in the building. He was talking to Piers. Zodi smiled brightly, letting go of Leon’s hand, weaving through the crowd. She hadn’t seen her best friend in almost two years. She broke through the crowd and was standing behind him. Piers glanced over and saw her. She put a finger up to her lips, trying to keep from laughing. Piers grinned lightly and continued listening to Raihan. Zodi stood on her tiptoes and tapped Raihan on the shoulder.<br/>
“Excuse me.”<br/>
“I’ll be with you shortly.” Raihan didn’t even turn his head.<br/>
“Oh take your time. I’m not going anywhere. Just wanted to say hi to my best mate.”<br/>
Raihan’s eyebrows furrowed as he tilted his head. Piers chuckled and nodded his head towards Zodi. When he turned around, Zodi couldn’t hide the smile from the look on his face. His eyes brightened as he bent down and wrapped his arms around her waist, picking her up into the biggest hug ever. Zodi squealed and wrapped her arms and legs around him, forgetting how tall he actually was. The disruption caused some people to turn their heads in alarm.<br/>
Raihan buried his face into her neck, trying to hide his eyes tearing up; his hat falling off in the making. He crouched and sat on the floor, still holding her securely. Zodi glanced up at Piers and put her fist out to him, nodding her head slightly.<br/>
“Sup, Piers”<br/>
“Sup, Zo.” he returned the fist bump, grinning. “I think you surprised him, mate.”<br/>
“I think so, too.” she chuckled.<br/>
Raihan lifted his head up, cupping her face. His face was barely inches away from hers, making her stomach flip for some reason.<br/>
“When did you get here?”<br/>
“This morning. Are you crying???”<br/>
Raihan quickly wiped his eyes, clearing his throat.<br/>
“No, I’m not crying! ...Your hair got in my eyes.” he cleared his throat again, rubbing the back of his head.<br/>
“You were crying! Don’t make me cry because if you start crying, I’ll start crying, and I don’t want to cry right now.” she started choking on her words, pouting.<br/>
“No no no, please don’t.” he hugged her tightly, threading his fingers through her hair. “By Arceus, I missed you so much.”<br/>
She nuzzled her face into his chest, hugging his waist. He was warm and still smelt of patchouli.<br/>
“I missed you more.” she mumbled into his chest.<br/>
“Please tell me you didn’t see that match?”<br/>
“You mean the match where Leon beat you once again?” she lifted her head. “I saw everything.”<br/>
Raihan groaned, his ears flushing.<br/>
“Great…”<br/>
“You were amazing out there.” she picked his hat up, putting it back on his head the way he liked it. This made a small smile appear on his lips. “You were close this time. Your number one fan would not lie to you.”<br/>
“Number one fan? I thought you were Leon’s number one fan.”<br/>
“No, that’s Hop. I’m his second number one fan. I’m always going to be your number one fan.”<br/>
She booped his nose, causing him to chuckle.<br/>
“Well, that’s great to hear.”<br/>
He looked her over seeing how much she had changed over the past two years since he saw her last. Her hair was different, but there was this air of confidence he hadn’t seen in her before. It was almost like a fire burning in her eyes. She wasn’t as shy and was acting more like herself in front of people. She already knew how to light up a room when she walked into one, but she was setting it ablaze at that moment. He lifted a strand of her hair, noticing the white tips.<br/>
“Loving the hair.” he flipped her hair to be in her face.<br/>
She blew it out of her face and shook her head, her hair falling back into place.<br/>
“Thanks! I needed a change.”<br/>
“What are you doing home? I thought you-” he stopped himself when a familiar voice interrupted.<br/>
“Why are you guys on the floor?” they both looked up at the source of the voice seeing Leon standing there, having found his way through the crowd.<br/>
Raihan stood up, still holding onto Zodi before placing her gently on her feet, towering over the both of them.<br/>
“I don’t know, It just be like that sometimes.” Zodi shrugged, practically gliding over to Leon.<br/>
Raihan felt something tug at his chest as she went back to Leon. He felt his smile leave his face, putting his arms behind his head.<br/>
“I’m just happy that Zo is home.”<br/>
“Yeah, it was a shock for you and me both.” Leon responded, wrapping an arm around Zodi’s waist.<br/>
“And there’s a reason I came home to.” she couldn’t hide the excitement in her smile even if she tried as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet.<br/>
“You completed it, didn’t you?” Raihan knew instantly, grinning.<br/>
Zodi’s face brightened as she nodded her head.<br/>
“I transferred all my data to the professor last night.” she felt her face becoming hot from the attention being on her. “I was going to tell you both individually another time.”<br/>
“But that’s an amazing accomplishment!” Leon exclaimed excitedly.<br/>
“Zo, you’re bloody brilliant.” Raihan added, smiling proudly at her.<br/>
“Oh gosh… thanks…” she knew her face was flushed at this point. She looked up at the clock on the wall. “Oh shoot, I have to go or I’m going to miss my train.”<br/>
She quickly hugged Raihan’s waist, feeling his arms instantly wrap around her.<br/>
Leon watched them and became disgruntled by how close they were to each other right then. He turned his head to look anywhere other than those two.<br/>
“Don’t wait another two years to see me. I don’t think I could handle two more years away from you.” Raihan kissed the top of her head, keeping her close to him.<br/>
“Oh don’t be dramatic. When I go to see my mom, I’ll make sure to stop by the stadium.”  She got on her tiptoes once more and kissed his cheek. “Bye- where did Piers go?” She looked around and found Piers nowhere in sight. “I’ll catch him another time. If you see Piers, can you tell him I’ll see him later?”<br/>
“Yeah, I can do that.” Raihan answered softly.<br/>
“Thank you! I’ll see you soon!” she pulled away from the hug and grabbed Leon’s hand, pulling him through the crowd.<br/>
“See ya, Raihan.” Leon called back, waving.<br/>
“See ya round, Leon…” he grumbled, watching them disappear through the crowd.<br/>
“Well, this is going to be interesting.”<br/>
Raihan jumped at the sound of Piers’ voice, looking down to see him beside him out of nowhere.<br/>
“Where did-what’s going to be interesting?”<br/>
“Eh, just a feeling. Guess we’ll find out sooner than later. Catch ya later, Raihan.” Piers mysteriously responded, walking off into the crowd, leaving Raihan by himself.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I would just like to shout out to my friend Harleigh for being super supportive and helping me figure out the story as I go along. Also huge shout out to my friends Becky, Sarah, Em, and Corinne for telling me to write this fan fiction, and for hyping me up. I appreciate you guys so much. Also, the beginning of this story is quite a bit of exposition to get to know Zodi, and certain things will come back to play later on.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter Two</p><p> </p><p>The train ride from Wyndon to Wedgehurst had lulled Zodi to sleep after talking to Leon for half the ride. She was snuggled up to Leon with her head resting on his shoulder when she was gently nudged awake. She groggily lifted her head, her eyes half lidded. She tilted her head up and saw Leon smiling down at her. She returned the smile. The day had almost felt like a dream to her. She was afraid to wake up and find herself still hundreds and hundreds of miles away from home; alone. Waking up and seeing Leon sitting beside her reassured her that she was home finally. She missed his goofy, sweet self more than words could describe. </p><p>“We’re here.” his voice was hushed. </p><p>Her eyes opened wide as she quickly pressed her hands against the glass. She grabbed her back, then his hand, and pulled him out of his seat. Leon stumbled down the aisle for a moment, laughing at her sudden burst of energy. </p><p>It was dusk when they got off the train. The street lamps were lit, and the streets were quiet. Zodi couldn’t hold still for a second. She was back in her small town; back to a place that wasn’t foreign to her, and she actually knew people. </p><p>“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this wired up in a long time.” Leon chuckled. </p><p>“Oh, is it showing? I’m sorry.” </p><p>She twirled under his arm and stopped in front of him, grinning from ear to ear. </p><p>“Don’t be sorry.” He pulled a strand of her hair behind her ear. “It’s cute.” </p><p>“Thanks. And ‘haven’t seen you this wired up in a long time?’” She placed her hands on her hips. “You get me all wired up <em> all </em>the time.” </p><p>A mischievous smirk snuck onto her lips as she saw his face flush. He rubbed the back of his head, clearing his throat.</p><p>“Yes, yes you do have that effect on me…” he admitted sheepishly.</p><p>“Yeah I do. Because I know <em> all </em>your weaknesses.” She smoothed out his shirt, patting his chest. </p><p>“You enjoy torturing me, don’t you?”</p><p>“It’s what I do best.” she retorted confidently. </p><p>“You just <em> had </em>to come home after the match.” he teased, pulling her close. </p><p>“Yeah, I did. I can’t let you get your way all the time. What kind of girlfriend do you think I am?”</p><p>Zodi dramatically turned her back to him and fell back against his chest with her hand pressed against her forehead. Leon laughed as he leaned forward, kissing her cheek. He kept his arms wrapped around her waist. </p><p>“I think you’re the best girlfriend.” Leon pressed his lips to her temples. “You also call me out on my shit… and help me when I’m lost… which is… a majority of the time.”</p><p>A snort escaped her lips, quickly covering her mouth. All of that was true, one hundred percent fact, and he didn’t deny it for a moment. </p><p><em> I love this dork, </em>she thought to herself. </p><p>“Thank you for acknowledging my greatness. Thank you. I am, indeed, the best. Huzzah.”</p><p>“All right, sass queen. Spare me.”</p><p>“Hm, no...no, I don’t think I will.” </p><p>Leon sighed heavily, shaking his head. </p><p>“You want me to walk you home?” </p><p>“Um…” She checked the clock on the wall. </p><p>It was 7:30. Her dad wouldn’t be home from work until later that night. </p><p>“Dad won’t be home til later… and I honestly don’t want to go home just yet…” she admitted hesitantly, wringing her hands together. </p><p>“Well, we have a couple options here: I can stay with you at your house until your dad gets home, <em> or </em>you could come over to my house and see my mum and Hop. They didn’t know I was coming home to visit, and they would love to see you, probably.” </p><p>“Are you sure? I don’t want to impose on your family time.” </p><p>“You wouldn’t. You’ve practically been a part of the family since we were born.” </p><p>She stopped and thought for a moment. It was kind of hard to believe they had been friends for that long before they started dating. It felt like forever ago. </p><p>“I guess you have a point.” she shrugged. “I haven’t seen your mum in ages.” </p><p>“We can change that.” </p><p> </p><p>Postwick wasn’t far from the train station. It was a nice walk. The wind rustled the leaves in the trees and the tall grass. You could hear the Wooloo in the fields in the distance. When they reached the front steps, Leon knocked on the door. The sound of dishes clinking together in the sink could be heard. </p><p>“Hop, could you get the door please?” a woman’s voice called. </p><p>Footsteps were heard running down the stairs and the door opened, revealing a young boy who, in appearance, could have passed for Leon when he was the same age. The young boy’s eyes grew wide when he saw Leon and Zodi standing there. He instantly threw himself at Leon, throwing his arms around him. </p><p>“Lee! Zodi!”</p><p>“Hey, bud!” Leon picked his little brother up, hugging him tightly. </p><p>“Sup, little man?” Zodi ruffled Hop’s hair before Leon put him down on his feet. “You’ve grown 5 inches since I last saw you.” </p><p>“Five and a half actually.” Hop corrected, folding his arms across his chest. </p><p>“Sorry, five and a half inches.” she playfully corrected herself. </p><p>“At this rate, I’m going to be as tall as Lee when I’m his age, maybe taller.” </p><p>“Yeah? We’ll see about that, squirt.” he messed Hop’s hair up more. </p><p>“Hop, who’s at the door?” </p><p>A woman came out into the hall, drying her hands on a dish towel. She had the same purple hair and amber eyes as her boys. Her face lit up when she saw her eldest standing in the doorway. Leon flashed her his famous toothy grin, holding his arms out to you. </p><p>“Hi, mum.” </p><p>“Hello, sweetheart!” She gave him a big hug before cupping his face in his hands, kissing him on the cheek. “I wasn’t expecting you home!” </p><p>“Well, it wouldn’t be a surprise if you expected it, mum.” he rubbed the back of his head. </p><p>Leon’s mum pulled away and saw Zodi, instantly pulling her into a hug. </p><p>“Zodi, too??? Oh goodness, hello, sweetheart! I’ve missed you so much! How have you been?”</p><p>Zodi smiled brightly, embracing her in return. His mum kissed her on the cheek, holding her close. Leon’s mum had always been more of a mother than Zodi’s own mother. She always checked in on her, supported her, and always gave the best advice when she needed it most. She was probably the most caring person Zodi had met, even after all her travels. It felt nice to be welcomed home warmly. </p><p>“Hi, mum. I’ve missed you too…” she held onto her tighter, resting her chin on her shoulder, trying not to get teary-eyed. “I’m a lot better now...” </p><p>Leon noticed the strain in her voice and rubbed her back. </p><p>“Awe, darling. Here, come in! Come in!” She broke away, wrapping an arm around Zodi’s waist, leading her inside to the kitchen. Leon followed suit, closing the door behind him. “Are you both hungry? I just put dinner away a bit ago, but I can fix you both a plate!” </p><p>“Oh, I don’t want to put you in that trouble!” Zodi wasn’t used to being “mothered” for so long, she forgot how Leon’s mom could get. “We ate on the train.” </p><p>“Are you sure? It’s no problem! You are eating right? You look pale.”</p><p>Zodi looked to Leon, pleading with her eyes for some sort of assistance. </p><p>“Mum, don’t overwhelm her.” Leon rested his hands on his mum’s shoulder and kissed her cheek. “You might break her.” </p><p>“Okay, okay, at least let me put the kettle on.” </p><p>“A cuppa tea actually sounds amazing right now.” Zodi sighed in relief. </p><p> </p><p>Mum served tea and they sat at the kitchen table talking for a few hours. Hop excitedly asked Zodi a million questions, it seemed, about all the Pokemon she’d seen and all the places she visited. Zodi saw the same fire in his eyes that she felt about Pokemon when she was his age. She had always wanted to help Pokemon and go see far away places. It was also like seeing Leon at that age all over again. They both had so much energy and couldn’t stay in one place for a long time. It would honestly probably kill them both to just sit down for five minutes and not do anything. She tried her best to answer his questions the best she could as the questions kept coming. Mum had to remind Hop to slow down and give Zodi a moment to think. Zodi rested her head on Leon’s shoulder and sighed happily. She glanced out the window and saw that it was dark outside. </p><p>“It’s getting late, I should probably start walking home.” Zodi sat up. </p><p>“Walk home this late?” Mum stood up, clearing off. “I don’t think so. You can stay here tonight.” </p><p>“Oh no, I don’t want to impose on you all. It’s really no issue walking home.” </p><p>“No, I insist. You’re tired and live on the other side of town. You stay here tonight.” </p><p>Zodi knew there was no point in arguing with Leon’s mum. She was just as stubborn as her boys. </p><p>“All right… I’ll stay the night.” </p><p>“Good! Leon can sleep on the couch, and you can sleep in Leon’s bed.” </p><p>Leon’s whole face dropped disappointedly, causing Hop and Zodi to snicker. Zodi patted his thigh and leaned up, kissing his cheek. </p><p>“Sorry, love, but you know the rules.” Zodi whispered in his ear playfully with a huge grin on her face. </p><p>“Don’t remind me…” he grumbled under his breath.</p><p> </p><p>Zodi sat on Leon’s bed in shorts and one of Leon’s t-shirts. She pulled out her Rotom phone and pulled up Raihan’s number, sending him a text. </p><p> </p><p><b> <em>Ghost Girl: </em> </b> <em> Oi, you going to be home this week? </em></p><p> </p><p>She didn’t have to wait long for her notification ringer to go off. </p><p> </p><p><b> <em>Father of Dragons:</em> </b> <em> Ey! Yeah, I’ll be home Thursday. I have to help Kabu out tomorrow in Motostoke.  </em></p><p><b> <em>Ghost Girl: </em> </b> <em> Good because I miss you and I’m going to come bother you that day.  </em></p><p><b> <em>Father of Dragons:</em> </b> <em> You just can’t get enough of me, huh? </em></p><p> </p><p>Zodi literally felt her body go ‘oof” at that response. She didn’t know why she found that so hot. </p><p> </p><p><b> <em>Ghost Girl: </em> </b> <em> I mean, today was the first time I saw my best friend in two years and you give the best damn hugs ever, I guess I can’t get enough of you.  </em></p><p><b> <em>Father of Dragons: </em> </b> <em> Okay, okay, fair. I give better hugs than Leon? :P </em></p><p><b> <em>Ghost Girl: </em> </b> <em> I didn’t say that. :P </em></p><p><b> <em>Father of Dragons: </em> </b> <em> You actually did. Do I have to screenshot the proof? :P </em></p><p><b> <em>Ghost Girl: </em> </b> <em> Don’t you dare tell him that. :P </em></p><p><b> <em>Father of Dragons: </em> </b> <em> I just might if you don’t visit me on Thursday. :P </em></p><p><b> <em>Ghost Girl: </em> </b> <em> Ugh! You’re impossible. :P I already told you I was.  </em></p><p><b> <em>Father of Dragons: </em> </b> <em> I know. I just like giving you a hard time. :P </em></p><p><b> <em>Ghost Girl: </em> </b> <em> Maybe I like you giving me a hard time. :P  </em></p><p> </p><p>Zodi’s body and mind were screaming at her after she realized how flirty that text was. She tried deleting it but couldn’t find the delete button in time to see her fate was sealed. The text dots popped up and he responded. </p><p> </p><p><b> <em>Father of Dragons: </em> </b> <em> Well someone didn’t get laid tonight and is all flirty. This is a PG chat, young lady. I’m not Leon.  </em></p><p><b> <em>Ghost Girl: </em> </b> <em> Excuse me? When has this chat EVER been PG? :P And no I didn’t get “laid” tonight. We’re at his parent’s house, and his mom is making him sleep on the couch.  </em></p><p><b> <em>Father of Dragons: </em> </b> <em> That’s honestly the funniest fucking shite I’ve heard in my life.  </em></p><p><b> <em>Ghost Girl: </em> </b> <em> No it’s not! ...ok, it’s actually pretty funny. And don’t start calling me young lady! You and Leon are literally a month older than me. One fucking month!  </em></p><p><b> <em>Father of Dragons: </em> </b> <em> Ugh. You young people complain so much. :P </em></p><p><b> <em>Ghost Girl: </em> </b> <em> I hate you, so much. Ya girl has needs and then you patronize meeee, your best friend; the one who deals with yooooour bull shit a majority of my life.  </em></p><p><b> <em>Father of Dragons: </em> </b> <em> I see that as a blessing. What would you do without me? </em></p><p><b> <em>Ghost Girl: </em> </b> <em> Honestly, I don’t know what I would do without you and Leon.  </em></p><p><b> <em>Father of Dragons: </em> </b> <em> Yeah, you’d be pretty lost… like Leon getting lost in Motostoke, all the time.  </em></p><p><b> <em>Ghost Girl: </em> </b> <em> Yeah, basically. I’ll let you get some sleep. I just wanted to check in since I didn’t get to stay long after the match.  </em></p><p><b> <em>Father of Dragons: </em> </b> <em> Alright, talk to you tomorrow! I really missed you, Zo… I’m glad you’re back.  </em></p><p><b> <em>Ghost Girl: </em> </b> <em> Don’t cry again. I’m not there to hug you.  </em></p><p><b> <em>Father of Dragons: </em> </b> <em> I wasn’t crying earlier… your hair got in my eye.  </em></p><p><b> <em>Ghost Girl: </em> </b> <em> Okay, we’ll go with that. I really missed you too… I’ll talk to ya tomorrow and see you on Thuuuuuuursday! </em></p><p><b> <em>Father of Dragons: </em> </b> <em> Haha just go to the stadium, and I’ll meet you there. Night, Zo.  </em></p><p><b> <em>Ghost Girl: </em> </b> <em> Night, sunshine. Love you! Xx </em></p><p><b> <em>Father of Dragons: </em> </b> <em> Love ya too, Zo. :)  </em></p><p> </p><p>Her phone plopped on the bed as she fell back onto the pillow. She stared up at the ceiling. Her stomach was doing flips. She didn’t realize she missed Raihan that intensely. Knowing she was in the same region as him made Zodi want to talk to him all night. The conversation could literally be about the color of the damn sky, but she just wanted to see him and catch up. She could have visited him when she had come home for visits more. She could have reached out more, but all her visits were cut short and there was never enough time to see him. Was it selfish that she wanted to spend time with him now that she was home now? Who doesn’t attempt to see their best friend in two years? What kind of friend did that make her? If she was in Raihan’s position, she didn’t think she’d want to hangout with someone the likes of her. Now everything was quiet, and she couldn’t sleep. </p><p><em> Wow, you just made yourself sad, genius, </em>she scolded herself. </p><p>She reached for her phone and messaged Leon. </p><p> </p><p><b> <em>Ghost Girl: </em> </b> <em> Did your mum go to bed?  </em></p><p><b> <em>Lee Babe: </em> </b> <em> About 10 mins ago.  </em></p><p><b><em>Ghost Girl: </em></b><em>Can you come and cuddle…? I kind of made myself sad…</em><em><br/></em> <b><em>Lee Babe: </em></b><em>Yeah, I’ll be up in a sec. </em></p><p> </p><p>Zodi sat up with her hands in her lap, waiting for Leon. The door quietly opened and Leon squeezed in through the door, shutting it just as quietly. He looked so different in sweats compared to his uniform. He looked more relaxed and more like the Leon she knew. He walked over to the bed and sat up against the headboard, pulling Zodi onto his lap with ease. Zodi rested her head against his chest, tracing her fingers along the back of his hand. </p><p>“What’s wrong, Zo…?” Zodi shrugged. Leon lifted her chin up gently, raising an eyebrow. “It’s something.” </p><p>“Am I a shit friend?”  </p><p>“What?” The confusion in his voice was evident.</p><p>“Am I a shitty friend?” She turned to face him, sitting on his thighs. </p><p>“N-no? Why would you say that? Where is this coming from?”</p><p>“I was messaging Raihan, and I just felt like shit suddenly because I didn’t even make an effort to see him the past two years. I came home a few times in the span of those two years, and I didn’t even go and see my best friend. Like who the fuck doesn’t say, ‘hey, I’m in town for a few days. Wanna hang?’ Like wow, I’m a selfish piece of shit who wants to hang out with him all of a sudden after I come home.” </p><p>“Wow, wow, wow, wow, woooow.” he grabbed her face, making her look into his. “I need you to take a deep breath.” </p><p>“How am I supposed to breathe when I’ve neglected someone I’ve cared about?” </p><p>“Breathe.” Leon’s voice remained composed, brushing her hair out of her face. </p><p>Zodi inhaled then exhaled heavily. </p><p>“Sorry…”</p><p>“Okay, you can smack me for saying this, but I think you’re overthinking this entirely.” </p><p>There was a pause as they both locked eyes with one another. Zodi slowly raised her hand and tapped him lightly on the back of the head. </p><p>“Overthinking is my middle name, but yeah, you’re right, though. You’ve been spared.” </p><p>“Phew… good… Anyway, for one: Raihan is a guy. He probably isn’t <em> too </em>upset about it. He bounces back pretty fast when he’s upset. Two: You’re probably the most caring and genuine person I know. I don’t think there’s a selfish bone in your body, so you need to cut that out right now. And third: I’ve never seen Raihan that happy to see someone in a long time. If someone was that upset with you, they sure as hell wouldn’t have had a reaction like that one.” </p><p>“Those are...very valid points…” </p><p>Leon sighed, still hearing the uncertainty in her voice. </p><p>“That’s because I’m right.” </p><p>“Wow, you’re not modest whatsoever.” She stifled a laugh. </p><p>“Nah, not really my thing.” he grinned, winking at her. </p><p>She grabbed his face and pressed her lips against his to shut him up. His hand instantly ran through her hair as the other arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest. A soft moan escaped her lips as the kiss became more heated. Leon securely wrapped his arm around her waist as he repositioned himself, laying Zodi on the bed. He hovered over her, careful to not put any weight on her. He broke away and began trailing his lips down her jaw, his beard scratching and tickling her skin. This caused her to giggle softly. He pecked her neck once, groaning softly. </p><p>“You’re going to get me into so much trouble…” he raised his head, seeing the glint of mischief in her amethyst purple eyes.</p><p>“Well, if we make this really quick, you could <em> still </em>make it downstairs and sleep on the couch and mum will never know.” </p><p>“You’re awful. Absolutely awful.” he laughed quietly, shaking his head. </p><p>“You won’t do it though. You follow the rules.” She mocked, knowing just how to get under his skin. </p><p>His whole demeanor changed in a flash. </p><p>“Are you challenging me?” His voice was lower than normal, causing Zodi to bite her lip. She got him. </p><p>“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. Like you’re going to do anything about it.”</p><p>“See, that’s where you are very wrong.” </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Nothing Could Go Wrong</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter Three</p><p> </p><p>Zodi stood in front of her dad’s house, gripping onto the strap of her knapsack. She found the key under the welcoming mat, not feeling up to fussing with finding her house keys in her bag. She unlocked the door and placed the key back in it’s spot before stepping inside. Nothing really changed while she was gone. The same beige walls, same pictures on the walls, the same furniture; all pretty normal. The sink was running in the kitchen. She set her bag down on the table by the door and made her way into the kitchen. She found her dad doing dishes at the sink. He was finishing up, wiping his hands with the dish towel. He was a tall and handsome man with dark hair that was greying at his temples. If Zodi got any traits from her dad, it was her height and her personality. </p><p>“Dad?” </p><p>He stopped. He put the towel down slowly and turned around, seeing her standing there. Zodi waved shyly at him, smiling. </p><p>“Hi, dad.” </p><p>He closed the distance and pulled her into a hug. It had been a long while since she had seen her dad, and it felt nice to hug him again. He pulled back and kissed her forehead, smiling down at her. </p><p>“Hi, princess. What are-” A proud grin lined his lips as he realized why she was home. “You did it, didn’t you?” </p><p>“Just like I said I would.” </p><p>“Oh, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you.” he gave her another quick hug before ushering to take a seat at the counter. “Sit, sit.” </p><p>He cleared textbooks and papers off the stool, putting them on another stool. She sat down at the stool as he started putting dishes away. </p><p>“When did you get home?” he asked as he busied himself. </p><p>“Oh, I got to Wyndon yesterday morning to surprise Leon and Raihan. Leon and I got here around 7:30 last night but you were at work still, so I stayed the night at Leon’s parent’s house. I’m sorry I didn’t come home last night…”</p><p>“Oh, don’t worry about that, sweetheart. I honestly didn’t get home until 11:30 and went straight to bed. I was stuck grading papers after my last lecture.” </p><p>“Oof, how bad was the damage?” </p><p>“It was absolutely horrendous. I have no idea how a majority of them even made it past the prerequisite for my lecture.”</p><p>“Ouch, that bites. So, probably was a good thing I didn’t come home last night?” </p><p>“You made a good call.” He paused for a moment before continuing putting glasses in the cabinet. “Have you gone and seen your mother yet?”</p><p>“You mean Regina?” Zodi scoffed. “No, I haven’t seen her yet.” </p><p>“You shouldn’t call your mother by her first name.  Don’t see you going around calling me Harris.” </p><p>“Well, that’s because I actually respect you.” Zodi had a sarcastic smile on her face. She wasn’t hiding the bitterness in her tone from anyone. </p><p>“That’s fair… I mean- Zodi.” </p><p>“See! You agree! You’re just trying to be nice. You’re the better person here.” </p><p>“Zodi, I hope you plan on seeing her.” he warned lightly, finishing putting the dishes away. “She’s still your mother.” He leaned against the island, facing her, giving her the dad look. </p><p>“Okay, okay, chill with the intense dad glare. I planned on seeing her. I planned on going to Hammerlocke to see Raihan anyway tomorrow.” </p><p>“You actually have to talk to her, too.” </p><p>“I’ll try if she’s not too ‘busy’. I don’t know how you or Cedric could ever be married to that-”</p><p>“Zodi.”</p><p>“Okay, okay. I’ll be nice…”</p><p>“I got you out of that marriage, didn’t I?” </p><p>Zodi thought for a moment and nodded, pointing at her father. </p><p>“You’re right… I’m the best thing that happened to you.” </p><p>The smug grin on her face made Harris laugh, shaking his head. </p><p>“What happened to modesty?” </p><p>“I’m in a mood, my bad. Also, I have two of the worst influences in my life.” </p><p>“It’s like three Misdreavus in the room when you three are together. How are Leon and Raihan? I bet they were surprised yesterday.” </p><p>“They’re good. I really missed everyone…” her voice trailed off.</p><p>Harris frowned, noticing she had started playing with her hands. He placed his large hands on top of hers, causing her to look up through her eyelashes. </p><p>“Have I told you how proud I am of you?” </p><p>“A few minutes ago....” Her voice was barely louder than a whisper.</p><p>“Well I’m about to tell you again. You did something not many people get to do, and that can be scary and lonely. I’ve been there. But you want to know something?”</p><p>“What?” </p><p>“We were supporting you from the beginning and never stopped. We all have to leave home sometimes, but home will always be here when you get back.” </p><p>“Thanks, dad.” </p><p>Harris walked around the island and kissed her temple, stroking her hair gently. </p><p>“Now stop moping and go unpack.” </p><p>“Alright, alright.” she hopped off the stool, heading back towards the hall to get her bag. </p><p>She stopped, remembering something she had meant to ask her dad when they were finally in person. </p><p>“Hey, dad…?” </p><p>“Yes, sweetheart?” He had begun rummaging through his papers and books, trying to organize his chaos. </p><p>“Do you know a man by the name of Pearce?”</p><p>Papers and a book fell off the counter, causing Zodi to sharply turn around. There was a heaviness in the air. Her dad was gripping onto the counter, staring down at the floor. He cleared his throat, crouching down to pick up his papers. </p><p>“Why do you ask?” </p><p>“Well, I uh…I never really told anybody this…” she bent down, picking up the loose paper, piling them in her hand. “But I ended up helping some rangers track this guy down for stealing other people’s pokemon...He tried stealing my Weavile. Well, when we got him, one of the rangers was your friend and when he mentioned your name, the Pearce guy asked about you…” </p><p>Harris didn’t answer. He took the papers carefully from her hand and stood up with her. </p><p>“Dad…?”</p><p>“No, I don’t know that man.” He avoided eye contact, setting everything on the counter. </p><p>“Dad-”</p><p>“Sweetheart, it’s nothing you need to worry about. Can we leave it at that?”</p><p>Zodi hesitated before nodding her head. </p><p>“O-okay, dad. I didn’t mean to upset you.” </p><p>Zodi grabbed her bag from the table in the hall and made her way upstairs to her room. Harris watched head up the stairs and sighed heavily, plopping down on a stool with his head in his hands. </p><p>“He’s not coming here, Harris… He’s locked away… he’s not coming here…”</p><p> </p><p>BUDEW INN - Motostoke</p><p> </p><p>The curtains were drawn in the room. It was dark. The only light in the room was coming from the television. It lit up half the man’s scarred face. He sat at the end of the bed, whittling away at a piece of wood. There was a pile of shavings forming at the foot of the bed. A deep humming resonated from his chest to a tune of an old song. The news program changed to the entertainment portion of the program. The two anchormen were rambling on to each other for the beginning of the segment. He glanced up from his whittling when he heard the woman mention a familiar name. </p><p>
  <em> “Yesterday’s battle at Wyndon Stadium wasn’t the only highlight of the day. Zodi Celestine, well-renowned trainer and long-time girlfriend to Galar’s Champion, Leon, has returned after being abroad for years.”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “That’s right. How long has it been? Four years since she left and five since her last battle with our Champion?”  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “You’d be correct…” </em>
</p><p>A video of Zodi in the lobby the day before played in the corner of the screen. It showed her standing beside an incredibly tall man then holding hands with another man as they left the stadium. He paused the screen on a close up shot of Zodi’s smiling face. He brought the little figure up into the light: it was shaped like a girl. He brought the knife up to the wooden figure’s neck, snapping it off. The small head flew across the room and rolled on the floor to a stop. He examined the figure again and grinned, satisfied with his work. He stood up, placing the figure on the television stand. He closed his knife, shoving it into his pocket. He grabbed his coat off the desk chair and shrugged it on, glaring darkly at the television screen. </p><p>“Don’t worry, boys…” His voice was deep and heavily accented. “We’ll get her and Harris one way or the other…” </p><p>Two sets of red eyes glowed in the corner of the room, the light reflecting off their claws. </p><p>“<em> Weaavile…”  </em></p><p>“Daddy’s going to do some research…” </p><p>He returned the two pokemon to their pokeballs and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. </p><p>
  <span>He walked outside, looking around before walking down the street. He bumped into an older man with greying hair and a red uniform and the tall guy he had seen on the television. He was much younger, probably around twenty years old. The younger one turned around. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, mate.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man nodded and kept walking, shoving his hands in his pockets. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s his problem, Kabu?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The older man turned around to watch the man as he walked away. He shrugged and patted the younger man on the back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry too much about it, Raihan. Now come along.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kabu began walking down the street again. Raihan took one last look at the mysterious man before he disappeared around the corner. Raihan walked after Kabu, catching up with three strides. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Sun and The Moon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yeah, this fic is definitely for the adult Pokemon fans, and that's okay. I'm having fun writing this, and I've made myself cry writing some things quite a bit. A lot of shit is going to go down, and I'm very excited for chapters to come.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter Four</p><p> </p><p>The house resembled all the other homes in Hammerlocke; grey, brick, and mundane. Zodi didn’t expect much to change. Her mother had as much expression and personality as a Solrock, and she felt bad for comparing a Solrock to that woman. She begrudgingly made her way up the front steps and knocked on the door. There was a chilly breeze blowing, making her shove her hands in her jacket pockets. The lock clicked and the door opened.</p><p>Standing in the doorway looked to be a much older and shorter version of Zodi with a phone held up to her ear. She had the same mauve hair and purple eyes as her daughter. She didn’t say a word and waved Zodi inside. Zodi curtly waved and walked inside, the door shut behind her. Regina stepped into her living room, sitting down on the couch in front of her laptop. </p><p>The grey walls didn’t have much on them except the occasional art piece. There were barely any family photos on the walls and surrounding surfaces. There wasn’t a speck of dust on anything, and everything was in a specific space. Zodi eyed the photo frame on the table by the door and purposefully slid it over an inch, knowing it would bother her mother. She folded her arms across her chest, leaning on the armrest of the loveseat. Her eyes scanned the room as Regina finished her call in the fakest customer service voice, placing it on the coffee table once the call ended. She began typing on her laptop. It was silent. Zodi waited: more silence. She cleared her throat, loudly; getting no response from her mum. </p><p>“Hi, mum.” </p><p>“Hm?” Regina was focused on the screen. </p><p>“I said hi mum.” </p><p>Regina turned her attention away from the screen and looked right at Zodi. </p><p>“Oh, Zodi, I’m terribly sorry, sweetheart.” she stood up, crossing the distance, and kissed Zodi on the cheek. </p><p>Zodi smiled faintly, the smile disappearing once her mum pulled away.. </p><p>“Trouble at work?” Zodi attempted to make conversation. </p><p>“Oh, no trouble. Just in a bit of a tizzy. Chairman Rose is conducting a personal inspection of the power plant this week.” </p><p>“Unexpected?” </p><p>“Quite so.” </p><p>The room was silent again. Zodi fidgeted with her hands, waiting for Regina to say something patronizing. </p><p>“So, you’re home. That’s good! When did you get home?” </p><p>“Tuesday.” </p><p>“Oh, I see… would you like something to drink? I could put the kettle on.” </p><p>“Oh, no, I’m alright, mum. I just wanted to drop by and say hello.” </p><p>“Alright, dear.” she furrowed her eyebrows and lifted Zodi’s chin, seeing the choker on her neck. “What is that around your neck?” </p><p>“A choker? It’s like a necklace.”</p><p>“That is nothing like a necklace. It makes you look like a hooligan.” Regina walked over to the coffee table, picking up her glass of water. “Why do you even like something like that around your neck?” </p><p>“Because I just love being choked, mum, and when I’m not being choked by my boyfriend, it reminds me how good it feels.” </p><p>Regina choked on her water and coughed, wiping her mouth, glaring at her daughter. </p><p>“We do not talk like that in this household, young lady, and I sure hope you don’t talk like that in front of other people.”</p><p>“Why?” Zodi scrunched her face in confusion. </p><p>“Because people will get the wrong impression.” </p><p>“Oh, the wrong impression of me being loyal to one guy for the past four years and in those four years have partook in sexual acts that a majority of couples experience throughout a relationship. Wow, I can just imagine the scandal that would explode in the news that my boyfriend and I have <em> sex. </em>” </p><p>“Alright, we’re done with this conversation.” </p><p>“You brought it upon yourself, mum.” </p><p>Her mum walked into the kitchen adjacent to the living room to grab a towel to clean up the water mess. </p><p>“You used to be such a sweet and quiet girl when you were younger. Now you’re vulgar and disrespectful.” </p><p>“You just bring out the best in me, mum.” Zodi rolled her eyes. </p><p>“I raised you better than this. I blame those two so-called friends of yours and the himbo of a boyfriend you have.” </p><p>“Excuse me? Don’t bring them into this. And you raised me? You didn’t raise me: dad did.”</p><p>“Zodi, that’s not true, and don’t even start with me about that.” </p><p>“No, you started this. You always start shit by condescending me; every single time.” </p><p>Regina crossed over to the coffee table and wiped up the water, organizing the papers laying there. </p><p>“I guess a mother can’t want the best for their daughter.” </p><p>Zodi scoffed, pushing herself off the armrest. </p><p>“You want me to be someone I’m not so you’ll look good around your sophisticated work friends.” </p><p>"Zodi, that's not true."</p><p>“No, it’s true. I’ve been here for ten minutes, and you’ve failed to ask me how I am or how my adventures went or why I’m even home. It’s pretty obvious you don’t care.” </p><p>“I do care, sweetheart, it’s just- it’s just not what I wanted for you.” </p><p>The tension was heavy. Zodi took a deep breath, holding back all the things she wanted to say to her mother. She headed towards the door. </p><p>“Well, mum, it’s not about what you wanted. It’s about what I wanted. I’ll see you around, mum… tell Cedric I say hi.”</p><p> </p><p>The walk to the stadium was a nice one. People were doing their morning errands, others were taking a stroll with their pokemon, others were sitting and chatting with one another. It was starting to warm up, but the breeze still nipped. When Zodi arrived at the gates of the castle, she had forgotten how intimidating and massive it was as she walked through the drawn bridge. It was almost like traveling back in time to the medieval ages or stepping into the legend of Sir Aaron and Lucario. It was truly magnificent and looked to have fared well throughout the years. It was grand and was no wonder they put the stadium in the castle.</p><p><em> They had to give him the castle stadium… that’s good for his ego, </em>Zodi laughed at herself, stepping forward into the lobby. She scoped the lobby but didn’t see Raihan anywhere. It was the usual lobby attendants and small grouping of fans hoping to see Raihan. He may not have been able to defeat Leon ten years consecutively, Raihan was the most skilled gym leader Galar had. People adored him for his passion in battle and for his photos he posted. Zodi remembered a time she tried commenting on one of his photos and hers got lost amongst the thousands of comments. She had to personally text Raihan the comment so he would see it. Zodi thought Raihan was an amazing person, and she really wished he could see that in himself. </p><p>A few minutes went by and she still didn’t see him. He saw the main gym attendant guarding the entrance. She groaned, not wanting to talk to other people after her squabble with her mother. She glided through the small group of people and stopped in front of the man. </p><p>“Um, pardon me. I’m here to see Raihan.” </p><p>“Are you here for the Gym Challenge?” he gruffly asked, his arms crossed over his chest. </p><p>“Oh, no, I did that a few years back. I’m a friend of Raihan’s. He told me to wait here.” </p><p>“Sure you are, and one hundred other people.” he retorted, refusing to move. </p><p>“Excuse me, I-”</p><p>“Viktor, it’s alright. She’s a friend.” </p><p>That familiar, velvety voice brought a smile to Zodi’s face, causing her cheeks to flush. Raihan came striding up to the two with his hands in his sweatshirt pockets. The fans in the lobby gawked at him. Zodi found herself staring. He had a strong presence when he entered a room, not to mention he was also the definition of tall, dark, and handsome. She shook her head at the thought. <em> What the fuck, Zodi? </em></p><p> Raihan did a quick wave at the fans before clapping Viktor on the shoulder. </p><p>“Loosen up, mate.” </p><p>“Oh, I’m sorry, sir… my apologies, miss.” </p><p>“Don’t sweat it, mate.” she shrugged it off. </p><p>“Viktor, if anyone is looking for me, I’m not here. I’m out.” he walked past him, wrapping an arm around Zodi’s shoulders, walking out with her. “Yes, sir.” Viktor waited for the two to leave before rubbing his shoulder from how strong Raihan was. “Ow…</p><p>Zodi hoped the blush on her face wasn’t visible from how close she was to Raihan at the moment. There was a sort of magnetism about Raihan that made her want to stay close to him. She wasn’t used to this much physical contact with him in a while, and she honestly wasn’t complaining one bit about the attention. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Don’t let Viktor bug ya. He’s a good guy. We’ve had some pretty whack people lately.” he reassured her, keeping her close to him.</p><p>“That’s what happens when you’re famous, bitch.” Zodi teased. </p><p>Once they were outside, Raihan stopped and turned towards her and picked her up into a hug. </p><p>“Yeah, but I’ve forgotten my manners. Good mooooorning, Zodi!” </p><p>He heard Zodi squeal and felt her wrap her arms and legs around him in a fit of giggles. Raihan melted at the sound of her laughter. It was probably the cutest and sweetest sound he had ever heard. Holding her up with one arm, he took his hat off and put it on her head, covering her eyes. Another fit of giggles escaped from her as she pushed his hat back from her eyes. Raihan had to catch himself from getting lost in her bright eyes. When he saw her the other day, he couldn’t get over how someone could get any more beautiful than they already were. He had to shake those thoughts out of his head. They weren’t thoughts people thought about their best friend. </p><p>“Good morning to you.” she giggled. “Can you put me down, pleeeease?” </p><p>“I guess so.” he complied, placing her down on her feet. “No Leon today?” </p><p>“No, this is Raihan day. I spent time with him the other night, remember?”</p><p>“Oh I remember, and I can tell.” he moved her jacket over, noticing the fading marks on her shoulder, fighting to hold back a smirk.</p><p>“Oi, cheeky bastard.” She pulled her jacket back over her shoulder, smacking his chest. “I’m surprised Regina didn’t see them when she haranged me over my choker.” </p><p>“Yeah? How did that go?” </p><p>She shrugged. Raihan could tell it was bothering her. </p><p>“It’s just the usual shit. I don’t want to talk about it right now. I’m with you now, and that’s what matters.” </p><p>Nodding his head, he grabbed her hand, pulling her down the street. He knew better not to press her on things when she needed distracting. He walked in smaller strides to match her pace once she caught up with him. </p><p>“We don’t have to talk about it now, but it’s a beautiful sunny day, and you need to tell me everything.” </p><p>“Okay, okay, okay because oh my god, I need to tell you about all. The. Freaking. Dragon. Pokemon. Out. THERE. Like there’s so many. You would die of excitement. Any time I encountered one, I would say to myself, ‘Raihan would love you in an instant.’ Like there’s so many, Raihan, and you would have loved all of them. Like one day, you’re going to have to meet all my dragon-types because they would love you and you would love them…” </p><p>As they walked, she continued rambling on about all the dragon types, and Raihan loved every second of it; listening intently to her. Her passion for pokemon was probably one of Raihan’s favorite attributes Zodi had. She was empathetic and compassionate towards every one, no matter how unpleasant they appeared. She loved every single pokemon in existence. He could listen to her ramble about pokemon all day and night because that’s when she was happiest. It also made him feel warm inside hearing she thought about him while she was away; that something as simple as his love for dragon pokemon reminded her of him. Happiness consumed his body and his face actually reddened a bit. </p><p>Most of the morning was spent listening to Zodi ramble about her adventures. She would start one story then be reminded of another and get sidetracked from the original story, and Raihan was honestly all right with this. Just hearing her voice in person was all he needed right now. He would ask her questions when the opportunity came, and she would answer his questions with even more bursts of energy. Her excitement and passion were electricity and could light up an entire city if possible. Zodi would occasionally stop and take a picture of him or with him on her Rotom phone and he would do the same thing at different times. </p><p>“Okay,” Zodi released a heavy breath. “I’m sorry. That was a lot.” </p><p>“Why are you sorry? I loved every moment!” </p><p>Raihan could see her face becoming redder by the second as she fidgeted by his side.</p><p>“That’s a load of bollocks right there…I just spent hours talking about myself.” </p><p>“And that’s alright.” </p><p>“But I want you to talk about you.” Her old shyness was starting to sneak into her voice as it became quieter. </p><p>“My life is an open book. My posts are documentation of my life, basically. It’s faaar less exciting than yours.” </p><p>“That’s not remotely true.” </p><p>He felt her grab his wrist, making his stop in his tracks. He stared down at the cobblestone street. Showing an insecurity was not his intention with that statement, and he knew he was in for it. </p><p>“<em> You </em> are fucking Raihan, tamer of dragons. <em> You </em> have been the only one to KO the majority of Leon’s pokemon in the past ten years. <em> You </em> are <em> the </em> most skilled Gym Leader in Galar. <em> You </em> are the hugest fucking nerd when it comes to history and weather-type moves. You’re literally a fucking giant with the kindest heart. Shall I hype up your very existence more? I’ve known you for a majority of my life: the list continues. Don’t make me use it on you, boy. So yes, I do want to hear about your life. You’re my best friend, idiot.”</p><p>Raihan thought for a moment, feeling like his ears were on fire. He rubbed the back of his head, laughing nervously.</p><p>“How about this: I take you to my favorite spot and I’ll answer whatever questions you have. Sound fair?”</p><p>“Hm...only if you carry me.” </p><p>“Carry you? Is that the only request?” </p><p>“Yes, yes it is.” she grinned smugly, crossing her arms. </p><p>Raihan rolled his eyes playfully before crouching down. </p><p>“If that’s what princess wants, I guessss.” he dramatically agreed. </p><p>She hopped onto his back with, what he would imagine, the smuggest smirk lining her lips. He hoisted her up and held onto her legs as he continued walking. </p><p>“Princess? You calling me princess all of a sudden?”</p><p>Raihan flinched, realizing his slip up. He knew the only way of covering his ass was by teasing her. </p><p>“I mean, yeah…You always get what you want.” </p><p>“Ey! Not true!” she was silent for a moment, Raihan worried that didn’t work until she spoke again. “Okay, maybe a little true…”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” He silently sighed in relief.</p><p>He carried her up a flight of steps when they got closer to the castle again. When he reached the top, he put her down carefully, pulling a set of keys out of his pockets. Unlocking the gate, he pushed the gate open, stepping to the side, holding it open for her. He saw her hesitation. </p><p>“Are you sure we’re allowed in there…?” </p><p>“Well, it’s kind of my stadium. I have some liberties. After you.” </p><p>Zodi walked past him and he followed suit, locking the gate back up. He led her up towards the battlements higher up and found the spot he loved going to when he needed to think or be alone. He watched her reaction when she looked over the wall and saw all of the Wild Area and the city below. It was the best view in the city. The astonishment on her face at that moment made that feeling from earlier come back. He sat on the edge and patted the spot beside him. She joined him, scooting closer to him. </p><p>“Wow...this is amazing…”</p><p>“Isn’t it? I’ve got the best view in all of Galar at my front door.” </p><p>“You really do. I can’t believe you’re allowed up here.” </p><p>“Well it’s not like we’re vandalising anything.” </p><p>“That’s true…”</p><p>They were silent; comfortably silent enjoying the view. It was quiet with the exception of a Pidove fluttering its wings as it flew off. </p><p>“So what’s the first thing you want to ask me?” Raihan broke the silence, rubbing the back of his neck. </p><p>“I don’t know… like... how are you? Honestly.” </p><p>Raihan had to think about that for a second. He hadn’t really thought about how he was feeling. He was feeling a lot of things at the moment. </p><p>“I guess I’m okay. Still kind of pissed at myself for losing to Leon again… in front of all those people...and you...” </p><p>He pulled at the cuff of his sleeves, staring down at his lap. He felt Zodi nuzzle her head under his arm and slip her arms around his waist. She nuzzled up to him, holding him tight. He hesitantly wrapped his arm around her shoulders, not expecting this response. </p><p>“You shouldn’t be upset about that… It was a great match…” she mumbled into his chest. </p><p>“It would have been greater if I had won… a ten year losing streak isn’t the most celebrated accomplishment.” </p><p>He glanced down at her and she tilted her head up to look at him, booping his nose. He chuckled softly, not sure why that always cheered him up when she did that. </p><p>“You’ll beat him one day. Can’t beat yourself up for that.” </p><p>“Kind of hard not to.” </p><p>“You know what I see when I see you battle?” she asked after a moment, pulling back to meet his eyes. “Your passion and love for your pokemon. That should be what matters the most.” </p><p>He shrugged, knowing she was right, but it wasn’t enough to get rid of the sting of losing. </p><p>“Yeah, it should be the only thing that matters, but it doesn’t get rid of the feeling of letting people down…” </p><p>“Well...you certainly don’t let me down.” Her fingers ran through his hair, smiling softly up him. “I’m loving this undercut look on you.”</p><p>She brushed her fingers along the shaved side of his head. Her touch was soft and tender, he didn’t know how to react. They were in-sync when it came to distracting the other. </p><p>“You like it?” </p><p>“Oh, yeah, it’s sexy. You hot.” </p><p>“There you go, hitting on me again.” he teased. “Does Leon know you find me sexy?” </p><p>“Listen: My boyfriend and best friend are sexy and sweet humans who deserve all the praising. Fucking deal with it. </p><p>Her laughter echoed a little. Raihan just shook his head and chuckled. </p><p>“Okay, okay, I’ll deal with it.” </p><p>“Good. Okay, next question: what happened to the two bimbos you were with?” </p><p>“Ouch, tell me how you really feel.” </p><p>“I just did.” </p><p>“Did you not like them?”</p><p>“Nope. Not at all.” she bitterly responded. </p><p>Raihan was taken aback by the drastic change of her tone. If he didn’t know she was in a relationship, it sounded almost as though she were jealous. </p><p>“Why?”</p><p>She didn’t answer for a moment. She appeared to be thinking carefully on what she was going to say next. He waited curiously. </p><p>“I have my reasons. Now tell me what happened to Trashy 1 and Trashy 2?” </p><p>“Wow. Ouch. Okay. Jillian was kind of...um… not loyal. And Lana was only dating me to get close to Leon...sooo… yeah…” </p><p>“Excuse me?” </p><p>“But nothing happened! She didn’t even get a chance. I promise.” </p><p>“You have the addresses to their houses, so I can kill them for hurting my friend?” The smirk and the look on her face was that of someone looking for blood. </p><p>“No, no killing. They both moved to different regions. It’s okay.” </p><p>“No, it’s not okay! They hurt you and used you! That’s not okay, at all.” she huffed. “We need to find you someone who isn’t a hoe.” </p><p>“I did find somebody.” he regretted the words that came out of his mouth instantly. </p><p>“You did?” </p><p>“Yeah…” His voice dropped, staring down at his hands. </p><p>“You never told me that.” Her tone was softer, maybe even a little sad. He couldn’t really pick up the feeling.</p><p>“She’s already in a relationship, so I never bothered saying anything.” </p><p>“Oh… do I know her?” </p><p>“No.” he lied easily, glancing down at her. “But if you did, you’d love her.” </p><p>“Highly unlikely. She’d have to be really special.” </p><p>“Oh, she is. She doesn’t really realize it though.”</p><p>“Well, go on. Tell me about her.” she egged on, nudging him in the side. </p><p><em> She’s you, </em>he thought sadly to himself. </p><p>Raihan couldn’t believe she was falling for his lie. He was technically telling her the truth, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth. Zodi was with Leon, and he wasn’t about to mess that up for his friends. That would be the most selfish thing he could do to someone he cared about.</p><p>“It doesn’t matter, and you’ll just make fun of me for being sentimental.” </p><p>“It does matter! I promise I won’t tease.” </p><p>Raihan groaned, putting his head in his hands. He took a deep breath, sitting up straight. </p><p>“Promise?” </p><p>“I promise.” </p><p>“Fine… I’m a very hotheaded, lively person; I’m like the equivalent of day if that makes sense. But then there’s this girl who is a lot like the moon and night. She’s the complete opposite of me: reserved, lights up a room without trying, and she’s just full of compassion and love for people and pokemon. She has this grace about her that could leave a room breathless for a whole moment, and she would be confused as to what was the big deal. She puts me in my place when I need it. We just balance each other out, but she’s very much in love with someone else, and I would never ruin her happiness for the sake of mine...it wouldn’t be right.” </p><p>“Wow…” </p><p>“What?” </p><p>“You… are the most selfless person I know…You’re really, truly amazing…” </p><p>He smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. </p><p>“Thanks…”</p><p>“Maybe one day it could happen with her.” she reassured him. </p><p>It physically hurt him to hear her say those words to him. He knew already that it would never happen, but he faked a smile, nodding his head. </p><p>“Yeah, maybe…”</p><p>They sat up there until the sun started to set and Zodi had to head to the station to go home. Raihan walked her to the station. They stepped inside and stopped, facing each other. Zodi wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. Raihan held her close to him, resting his head on top of hers. She gasped and quickly pulled away, rummaging in her bag for something. </p><p>“I almost forgot! I have something for you.” </p><p>“Something for me…? Zo, you didn’t have to-”</p><p>“No, no, I wanted to!” </p><p>He watched her curiously as she pulled an Ultra Ball out of her bag. She handed it to him, smiling. There was a note on it. He took it cautiously, confused for a moment. </p><p>“What’s this?” </p><p>“I caught this pokemon for you. I want you to have it.” </p><p>“You-you caught a pokemon for me?” </p><p>“Yeah.” </p><p>“I can’t accept this-” he tried handing it back, but Zodi placed her hands over the Ultra Ball and his hand. </p><p>“Yes you can. I’ve had that little guy for a year now, waiting to give it to you. I know I wasn’t there for you a lot the past two years with being away, and this is my way of giving back to you for being there for me no matter what.”</p><p>“Zodi-” </p><p>A last call announcement interrupted him. Zodi leaned up and kissed his cheek, smiling brightly. </p><p>“I’ve got to go. The pokemon information is on that card. I’ll message you when I get home.” </p><p>“I’ll see you later, Zo.” </p><p>“Love you! Bye! Take care of the little guy!” </p><p>She hurried off to catch her train before it left. </p><p>“I love you too, Zo…” </p><p> </p><p>Raihan laid in bed that night, scrolling through the photos he had taken with Zodi that day, choosing the ones he wanted to post on his feed. Zodi had messaged him earlier saying she made it home safely. He stopped on a specific one: it was of Zodi laughing and him looking down at her like she was the entire world. He smiled sadly at the photo before posting the photos. He put his phone on the nightstand. His eye caught on the Ultra Ball sitting there. He reached for it as he sat up, peeling the taped piece of paper off of it. He released the pokemon, and out came this short little blue and white dragon-type pokemon. He had little fangs poking up out of his mouth and yellow markings on its tum, under-chin, and the side of its head. </p><p><em> “Bagon.” </em>it happily responded seeing Raihan. </p><p>Raihan smiled at the pokemon before opening the note Zodi left for him. </p><p>
  <em> This is Bagon! He has two more evolutions. He turns into Shelgon then finally into Salamence. I already hyped you up to the little guy, and he can’t wait to go on adventures with you. This little guy loves to cuddle and has a big heart just like you. You and Bagon have a lot in common. Here’s a description of Bagon for you! ‘Bagon has a dream of one day soaring in the sky. In doomed efforts to fly, this Pokemon hurls itself off cliffs. As a result of its dives, its head has grown tough and as hard as tempered steel.’ You both have big dreams that I know will come true one day. Love, Zo. xx Ps. Little guy really loves spicy and sweet treats!  </em>
</p><p>Raihan was speechless by the amount of thought that went into choosing a pokemon for him. He felt something nuzzle against his leg and looked down to find Bagon watching him cutely. Raihan petted the top of his head.</p><p>“I guess you want to sleep with me tonight, huh?” he picked him up and groaned, not expecting him to be that heavy. “Damn, you’re heavy for a little guy.” </p><p>He laughed lightly, placing him on the right side of his bed. Bagon made himself comfy and curled up beside Raihan, closing his eyes. Raihan got under the sheets and turned off his lamp. Everything was dark. He stared up at the sky through the window in his bedroom. There were no stars and no moon. He sighed heavily, looking down at Bagon, who was asleep beside him. </p><p>“Well, at least I’ve got you tonight, little guy…”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. What Lies Ahead?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter Five</p><p> </p><p>It took a few weeks, but Zodi finally was adjusted to being at home. She really wasn’t sure what she wanted to do now. Leon was the champion and helped Chairman Rose and Raihan was a gym leader. Zodi had already gone out and succeeded at what she wanted to do. Now there was the constant question of what now. Something was missing, but she wasn’t sure what that was. There were too many other things on her mind. Leon was acting weird whenever she was with or even mentioned Raihan’s name, Raihan was quiet and almost like he was sad when Leon and her were with him, and her dad would change the subject if she tried bringing up the Pearce situation. Why everything was complicated, she had no idea. </p><p><em> Guys are complicated, </em>she thought, grabbing her laptop. </p><p>She opened it and smiled at the background. It was one of the pictures Raihan had taken a few weeks back. There was something about the way Raihan looked at her in the photo that made her heart race and a sense of longing course through her. Zodi had never seen Raihan look at anyone like that before. It made her feel special. If anyone turned and looked into those glowing blue eyes of his with that glint they had, they would instantly fall in love with him the way she…</p><p>She stopped her thought, her eyes widening. </p><p>
  <em> No...no no… you’re not in love with Raihan. You’re in love with Leon. No, no, no, no.  </em>
</p><p>This panicked her, but she really couldn’t help finding herself attracted to her best friend. His personality was enough to make anyone swoon, and his looks didn’t help either. The blue eyes that popped with his darkened skin, his body was fit and solid; He was definitely someone who cared about how he presented himself. The way his body felt against hers when he held her almost drove her crazy. It was always hard to let him go when she had to. There had always been this attraction Zodi had for Raihan over the years that she just ignored and thought as hormones and her body finding every male she saw attractive in some way. </p><p>“Fuck’s sake, Zodi… stop it, stop it, stop it. You’re with Leon. You need to chill, mate. Raihan doesn’t think of you like this. You’re going to pretend that you never had these thoughts, and how you wouldn’t mind doing really...bad things with him…Yup. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope, we’re going to forget that was even said… yeah…”</p><p>“Sweetheart? Are you talking to yourself again?” her dad called up from downstairs. </p><p>Zodi groaned, flinching, hoping her dad didn’t hear any of that. </p><p>“Yeah, sorry! I’m good!” </p><p>“Alright, I’m heading to the shop. Do you need anything?”  </p><p>“No, I’m all good, dad. Can you leave the door unlocked? Leon’s coming over.” </p><p>“Can do. Remember: door open.” </p><p>“Daaaad. Really?” </p><p>“You know the rules, sunshine. See ya later!” </p><p>“Bye, dad.” she rolled her eyes, smiling. Her dad knew her too well. </p><p>Her dad sparked an idea in her head, and she opened her internet browser. She waited for the front door to shut before she typed in the name. </p><p>
  <em> Pearce Beckett, criminal </em>
</p><p>A number of sources appeared on her screen, and she was overwhelmed as the scrolling never ceased. There were pages upon pages about him and the crimes he committed in other regions. She scrolled back up and clicked on an article on Pearce’s background. It read:</p><p>
  <em> Pearce Beckett was a scientist from the Sinnoh region. He specialized in chemistry and assisting the Ranger Bases in Fiore with their capture assistance technology. Beckett was dismissed and his license revoked when he started testing on pokemon. The serum he created could alter a pokemon’s behavior, leading them to become evil and controlled. Beckett has been charged with numerous counts of murder from human to pokemon. A murder of his, that struck home, was that of Pokemon Ranger Zion and Pokemon Ranger Harris’s partner pokemon, Cranidos. Ranger Harris and other rangers arrested and imprisoned Beckett. Beckett was released from jail three years ago with no explanation. He began testing on Pokemon again, leading to his capture and arrest last year by Rangers and the assistance of renowned Pokemon Trainer, Zodi Celestine.  </em>
</p><p>Zodi grabbed her notebook off the desk by her bed and began scrawling down notes. The two people and pokemon mentioned in the article sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it at the moment. She took a note of the names to look up later when the sound of the front door interrupted her thoughts.</p><p>“Babe?” </p><p>The familiar voice made her smile. </p><p>“Up here!” she called out, continuing to read. </p><p>In a few moments, Leon was walking into her room. He smiled and sat on the bed beside her, wrapping an arm over her shoulders. Zodi leaned up and pecked his lips softly before hugging his waist. </p><p>“Hi, baby,” she greeted happily. </p><p>“Hey,” he kissed her forehead, looking down at her laptop. “What are you working on now?” </p><p>“Oh I was just reading up on this guy I helped arrest last year.”</p><p>“Why the sudden interest?” </p><p>“He somehow knows my dad, and dad acts like he doesn’t know him, but he sucks at lying.” </p><p>“So you put it upon yourself to figure it out?” Leon started playing with her hair.</p><p>“Yup.” she made a little noise and snuggled up to him more. “But I can work on this later, if you keep playing with my hair.” </p><p>Leon chuckled, nodding. </p><p>“I can do that.” </p><p>He watched her minimize the browser. He stopped when he saw her background of her and Raihan. It was the same photo from Raihan’s post three weeks back, and he didn’t like it then, and he certainly didn’t like it now. The way Raihan looked at her made his blood boil. Raihan, Zodi, and him had been friends since they were kids, and he never had a problem with how close they were until now. Raihan wouldn’t do anything, he wasn’t like that, but the thought of something possibly happening bugged Leon. Zodi was always happier when Raihan was around or would light up when his name was mentioned. Everything shifted when she came home. </p><p>Zodi whined when he had stopped playing with her hair.</p><p>“Why’d you st- Leon?” Her face had become concerned. She put her laptop and notebook on the desk. “Leon, what’s wrong? You look upset…” </p><p>Leon didn’t take his eyes off the laptop. He shook his head and avoided her gaze. </p><p>“Nothing’s wrong…” </p><p>She turned her head to see what he was glaring at then back to him. She crawled into his lap and lifted his chin to make him look her in the eyes. </p><p>“Don’t tell me nothing’s wrong. Something’s the matter… is it my background?”</p><p>Leon cursed to himself. He was never really good at lying to her. He didn’t like feeling this way, especially when he knew Zodi wouldn’t do anything on purpose to hurt him. </p><p>“Yeah…” he mumbled under his breath, meeting her eyes hesitantly. </p><p>“Why? It’s just me and Raihan.” </p><p>“I don’t like the way he’s looking at you in the photo…” he admitted, his voice sharper than he intended. </p><p>Zodi flinched and didn’t say a word for a while. He noticed she was taken aback by his tone. It was eating him up inside that he spoke to her so sharply. </p><p>“I really like that photo…” she finally responded, rubbing her arms. “But I can change it if you don’t like it…” </p><p>“No, no, don’t do that…come here...” he sighed heavily, enveloping her to his chest. “I’m sorry… that was dumb… you don’t have to change it…” </p><p>“But it upsets you…” she nuzzled her face into his neck. </p><p>“I’ll get over it. I shouldn’t have reacted like that…”</p><p>“You know Raihan and I are just friends, babe. You have nothing to worry about.” </p><p>“I know, I know…” </p><p>Zodi pulled back and cupped his face, brushing her thumbs against his cheeks gently. </p><p>“I love you, okay?”</p><p>Leon wanted to believe those words with all his heart, but the voice in the back of his mind was telling him not to. The voice kept telling him to be cautious and not trust her. He wanted the voice to stop saying these things. Viewing Zodi as unloyal and deceitful was against everything about her character. No matter how many times he reminded himself of that, that little voice in his head and feeling in his chest wouldn’t go away. He nodded slowly, giving her a small grin. </p><p>“Yeah...I love you too…”</p><p> </p><p>BUDEW INN</p><p>The man walked back into his room, setting his jacket and hat on the chair. He released his Weavile from their pokeballs. He plopped himself down into the desk chair, flipping the tv on. He pulled a folder out of his bag and a book on dynamaxing pokemon, written by Professor Magnolia. He grabbed a vial out of the bag and eyed it carefully, swishing the blood colored liquid. The report on the television changed.</p><p>
  <em> “Dynamaxing pokemon has become a huge phenomenon throughout Galar. For viewers who are unaware what Dynamaxing your pokemon is, it’s a transformation that affects pokemon during battle. A Dynamax Band allows trainers to Dynamax their pokemon once during battle. Professor Magnolia, our region's specialist on Dynamax, says a pokemon distorts space to change its size while it affects its surroundings. Wishing stars are needed in order for this to work. Dynamaxing, however, can be quite dangerous if encountering a wild pokemon in this form.”  </em>
</p><p>“Hm… distorting space to transform a pokemon into a far more powerful and larger state…” he chuckled darkly, placing the vial in a holder he had setting on the desk. “This could benefit me, and my employer…” </p><p>He watched the battle they were using as an example, and his eyes grew at the sight of the pokemon Dynamaxing. The amount of destruction and power the pokemon fueled him, a malicious smirk forming on his face. He envisioned all the chaos and destruction he could cause if he combined his serum with a pokemon that was able to Dynamax. He pulled out his burn phone and dialed a number, waiting for the caller. He heard the phone connect and a grumble from the other end of the line. </p><p>“Pearce… this better be important...It’s three in the morning here.” </p><p>“Terribly sorry, sir, but I wouldn’t have called you if it wasn’t important.” Pearce tapped his fingers on the desk. “I’ll make this short and sweet for you: I know a way to make an entire region fall to their knees with a little...persuasion...and you’d get all the pokemon you could ever dream of...I just need the money wired to me to make it so…” </p><p>“How do I know this is going to work and that you won’t just run off with the money?”</p><p>“Giovanni, sir: with all due respect, I’ve remained loyal to you for this long...I don’t think we’ll have an issue.” </p><p>There was silence on the other end. Pearce didn’t think his boss hung up the phone. </p><p>“My man wired the money. This is your last chance, Beckett. Don’t mess it up.” </p><p>The call ended. Pearce smirked darkly, pulling a picture out of the folder on the desk. </p><p>“Draxen… come…” </p><p><em> “Weavile…” </em> Draxen was by his side in an instant, awaiting his order. </p><p>Pearce held a photo of Zodi in front of his face. </p><p>“I want you to follow her… keep your distance...then you return to me… If you do find an opportunity to kill her, do it without being seen. Understood?" </p><p><em> “Weavile.” </em>Draxen nodded and was gone in a flash through the window.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope someone is enjoying my little Pokemon Easter Eggs throughout. I thought that would be fun! If you've read through this far, thank you for sticking around! I really appreciate it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Creeping in My Soul</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Six</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zodi sat awkwardly between Raihan and Leon at the Battle Cafe in Hammerlocke, staring at the door. Leon had his arms crossed, glaring at Raihan, and Raihan was just sitting there, drinking his tea from a to-go cup. No one talked for a good ten minutes. It was like a tennis match watching the two guys throw looks at one another. Zodi clicked her tongue, attempting to break the silence, drawing the attention of both guys. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, this is nice.” she drummed her fingers on the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…” Leon mumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice…” Raihan grumbled behind his cup. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, what’s with you two?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Leon shrugged, avoiding eye contact. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothin’s wrong.” Raihan eyed his cup, his voice quieter than normal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two never shut up and are constantly talking over one another. Spill. What’s got both your Alans in a twist?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My Alan isn’t in a twist, I just- couldn’t sleep after we got off the phone last night.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span> “You couldn’t sleep?” Her hand rested on top of his, rubbing her thumb comfortably along it. “Was something bothering you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan stared down at her hand, placing his cup slowly down on the table. He went to speak and was interrupted by Leon clearing his voice. His eyes flicked over to him and glared for a moment before he turned his attention back to Zodi. He grinned lightly and rested his hand on top of hers, knowing it would piss Leon off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just couldn’t sleep. Don’t sweat it, sweets.” Raihan grabbed her snapback, shifting it to the side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This caused a fit of giggles and a huge grin to form on her face as she took it off and fixed her hair. She placed it backwards again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You might want to watch yourself.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan lifted his head, hearing the threat in Leon’s voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s that supposed to mean?” He pulled his hands away from Zodi’s, his leg shaking under the table to distract his thoughts of decking Leon in the jaw. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just saying you want to watch yourself. In case a challenger comes, you know.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two friends glared intensely at each other. Zodi standing up suddenly, having had enough. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All right, I’m done. You two need to hash things out about whatever this is. I’m going to see Piers, unless that’s a problem, too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She threw her bag over her shoulders and stormed out. The guys watched out the window as she flew off on her Drampa. Leon huffed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dude, what the hell is your problem?” Raihan growled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you know what my problem is.” Leon spat back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really don’t. Why are you being a fucking dick?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You may be fooling Zodi, but you’re not fooling me, mate. I know you like Zodi.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Raihan tried to keep eye contact, but his eyes quickly darted to the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who are you even fooling right now? You should see the way you look at her. You’ve liked her for years.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about it? So what if I like Zo? I respect your relationship because you both are my best mates.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Respect my arse.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan’s knuckles were turning white from how tight his fists were curled up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, for someone who has everything, you seem pretty insecure.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shoved the salt deep into the wound by the look on Leon’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not insecure…” he lied through gritted teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really that worried Zodi would leave you for me, Leon?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not worried.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is complete and utter bollocks.” Raihan could see his words were starting to get to Leon. It was different seeing his friend break under pressure, but it brought a strange sense of pleasure to Raihan with the way Leon was treating him lately. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need to stay away from Zodi, Raihan.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm, how do you think Zo is going to feel about that?” Leon didn’t respond. He continued. “Zo loves you, not me. You want to be selfish and tell her she can’t see her best friend anymore, go ahead. See how that works out for you because you’ll be the reason Zodi leaves you in the end if you keep this shit up...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know I’m not going to tell her that…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly.” Raihan stood up, leaning over the table to get in Leon’s face. “You’re the champion, you got the girl, and I’m just left in the dust. You won, Lee. What more do you want? You wanna lose your best friend while you're at it, too? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan snatched his cup off the table and threw it in the waste bin. Before he turned toward the door, he stopped, peering over his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And if you ever hurt her, just know I will break you...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span> He ducked under the door frame and left Leon by himself in the cafe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Piers, what’s wrong with me?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piers and Zodi were laying on his stage in Spikemuth, staring up at the ceiling. Zodi liked it there. It was dark, small, and out of the way. It was also oddly quiet when Piers wasn’t putting on one of his concerts. Piers was the same age as her and had gotten to become close friends over the years. The first time she met Piers was when they were both fourteen. Zodi had lost a bet to Raihan and Leon, and the deal was she had to sign up for the band or solo act competition Spikemuth put on every year. Her stage fright had left her frozen up on the stage until Piers came up and performed with her. That was the beginning of their beautiful, punk-metal friendship. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piers turned his head, humming as he thought for a minute. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uuuh...I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you… What’s up?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everything’s a mess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well that’s uh, vague.” He sat up, focusing on her. “Care to enlighten me as to what’s a mess?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this a judge-free zone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Piers could see the hesitation and anxiety in her eyes. Usually she told him everything, but this time was different. He nodded, waiting for her to continue. Zodi pushed herself up and turned her back to him. She stared out onto the battle ground, watching her pokemon play and chill with one another. She didn’t speak for a minute.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leon and Raihan haven’t been...acting themselves lately, and I think it’s my fault.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piers moved forward to sit with her on the stairs. He had a good idea this probably would happen since the match. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your fault? I doubt that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It seems like it.” she brought her news to her chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Try me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s like if I’m with Raihan or I mention his name, Leon is in a mood and doesn’t like me being around him all of a sudden. If I’m with Raihan and mention Leon’s name, he’s moody or sad. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Then</span>
  </em>
  <span> I’m like, okay, maybe if I hang out with them both, tensions could loosen up because why not. Well, I did that the other week, </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> earlier today, and I have Leon being territorial and defensive and Raihan ends up not talking to me the entire time and looks pissed and visibly upset. Like I don’t know what’s going on with those two, and why it’s suddenly an issue.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not good… at all… ” Piers was getting worried about this. Raihan and Leon were best friends outside of being rivals, and this was out of character for those two. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like I left them at the cafe because I just got sick of being in the middle of it. It wasn’t helping all the... thoughts and emotions I’ve been having…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean your suppressed feelings you have for Raihan that you’ve been ignoring for years?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi blinked a few times, leaning away from Piers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me, what?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You heard what I said, mate.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have- I- you know what, I don’t even want to know how you knew that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piers shrugged, leaning back on his hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Call it intuition, call it being a big brother, call it what you may; I’ve known this for years.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi groaned, burying her face in her hands, her ears burning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it really that noticeable…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only since you got back. It’s intensified since you’ve been gone.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does that make me a bad person?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think that makes you a bad person for having feelings for someone. Not like your sneaking behind Leon’s back.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah...still feel like shite about the whole thing.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Feelings are messy…” Piers felt her head plop on his shoulder. He rubbed her back soothingly. “We could always form a band, go on a world tour, escape from dumb guy drama.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi snorted, glancing up at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no, please don’t start on that again.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come oooon, Zo. Imagine: the Punk-Metal Duo of Galar rocking out together. We could write songs about our tortured feelings. Come on, you’re brilliant.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about your gym?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eh, planned on retiring next year. I keep asking Marnie to take over, but she’s dead set on becoming Champion.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oof, best of luck to her.” Zodi sat up and kissed Piers innocently on the cheek. “Thanks for cheering me up, Piers.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, don’t get sentimental on me. I have an image to uphold.” He sarcastically remarked, rolling his eyes with a huge grin on his face. This caused another laugh to come from Zodi. “Just see how things go, and roll with what makes you happy.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piers’s stage manager walked into the stadium, heading towards his booth in the back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oi, boss. Sound check in ten minutes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piers waved at him, acknowledging his statement. Zodi stood up and grabbed her pokeballs from her belt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All right, everyone, time to go.” Her pokemon returned to their assigned balls and she placed them back on her belt. She held her fist up to Piers, smiling. “Catch ya later, mate.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He fist bumped her back, nodding his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You remember what I said. I’ll catch ya later, Zo.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi smiled and started making her way out of the stadium. The long street was dark with lots of dark alleys. It was unusually quiet on the way to the entrance. It made Zodi wary. It almost felt like something or someone was watching her. Something flashed in her peripheral, causing her to sharply turn and face a dimly lit alley. The light was flickering as if it were about to go out completely. Something zoomed past the end of the alley, causing a waste bin to topple over. Zodi was becoming nervous but was curious as to what was down there. She grabbed one of her pokeballs and released Lucario. It stood there, sensing her unease. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lucario, watch my back… I have a feeling someone is following us…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It grunted and nodded, understanding the direction. They began walking slowly down the alley. They got to the spot Zodi saw whatever it was. It was larger opening in between apartment buildings with old, rusting fire escapes and garbage cans leaning against the walls. Puddles from the rain the day before were still on the pavement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi saw the toppled over waste bin. She walked over and bent down, setting it upright again. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Snikt!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of sliced metal alarmed Zodi. She lifted her head and her eyes widened as the fire escape above her was coming down on her. She felt something push her out of the way in time as the fire escape crashed where she had been not moments before. Lucario protectively hovered over her then hopped up, prepared to attack. It growled, scanning it’s surroundings. Zodi was breathing heavily, still trying to process what just happened. Piers and other Team Yell members came running out of the alley, having heard the commotion. Piers hurried over to Zodi and took her hand, helping her up. She was still staring at the fallen fire escape. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi, you alright? What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I...I don’t know… I felt like someone was watching me through this alley...I went to check it out, and the fire escape came down on me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piers cursed under his breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry, Zodi...I knew we should have replaced these old fire escapes…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oi, Piers.” one of the grunts nodded for the two of them to come over. They walked over, Lucario staying close behind Zodi. “This was no accident. Take a lookie here. A pokemon did this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The grunt pointed at the claw marks on the metal. Zodi traced her fingers along the marks, recognizing them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A pokemon? Why would a pokemon do this?” Piers questioned with confusion in his voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not just any pokemon… A Weavile did this…” Zodi’s voice became hushed as realization began to sink in. She hoped she was wrong. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A Weavile? How do you know that?” one of the other grunts interjected. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve seen these marks before… I’ve got to go.” She turned away and walked hurriedly down the alley. “Lucario, come on.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lucario grunted and hurried after her, leaving Piers and the other grunts concerned and confused. Zodi was starting to panic. It had to be a coincidence a Weavile did this. Maybe the Weavile was confused and thought it was in danger. Maybe it was scared, maybe it was attacking another pokemon she didn’t see. All these thoughts went through her head, but they all ended up coming to the thought that scared and worried her the most: that he was out, and that he had found her.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He’s in prison… You put him in prison… It can’t be him… It can’t be him…</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Y'all, it physically hurts me to hurt my favorite himbo, but I gotta do it. I'll write a nice fan fic for him one day. T_T I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I had to rethink this chapter a bit, and I like how it turned out.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Sweet Dreams Are Not Made of These</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Seven</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Zodi sat under the cherry-blossom tree in her backyard. Her Gastly playfully floated around her. Raihan was next to her, petting his Trapinch’s head. They were probably eight or nine at the time. It was a breezy, warm day outside. The Wooloo were bah-ing in the fields and the Rookidee were chirping in the trees. They both had finished training their Pokemon and were taking a break. Her dad had brought them out some snacks and drinks they were munching on under the tree. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Leon’s gonna try out for the Gym Challenge next year.” Zodi made conversation in between bites of her sandwich. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Yeah, I heard.” Raihan grumbled. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“He’s just the coolest. Like wow. And sooo cute.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What’s so great about Leon?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Zodi looked at him with her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What you mean?” She could see his eyes tearing up causing her to gasp lightly. “Raihan, why are you-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I don’t want you to like Leon like that; I want you to like me like that.” he choked on his words, angrily wiping his tears away. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Um, um, please don’t cry… Why don’t you want me to like Leon like that???” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Because I’m cool and cute too, and you like my dragon pokemon even though everyone makes fun of me about them.” he sniffled. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I do like your dragon pokemon! They are going to grow big like you and you will be the best pokemon trainer ever!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You-you think so…?” Raihan lifted his head, his eyes still watery. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Well, yeah! I wouldn’t lie to ya! You’re my best friend.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Raihan smiled softly, his face flushed.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Thanks, Zo…” he went silent for a moment. “Zo, would you be mad at me if I tried something…?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I don’t think so.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He looked around to make sure no one was watching and quickly leaned over and pecked her lips, sitting back down in a flash. Zodi’s eyes widened as she stared straight ahead. She couldn’t breathe for a moment. Gastly floated down and nudged her gently, seeing she wasn’t responsive. Raihan grabbed her arms gently and shook her gently. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Zo? Zodi? Are you okay? I’m sorry! Please don’t tell anyone…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Zodi shook her head and turned her head to face him. He had curled his knees into his chest and was hugging them. She was silent for a moment, and the only sound was the rustling of the branches in the breeze. A small smile crept onto her lips. She leaned over and kissed his cheek quickly. His head perked up. Raihan rubbed the back of his head and laughed nervously. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re cute when you blush.” she giggled. “Your secret is safe with me.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Zodi, I’m going to marry you one day when we’re big and I’m going to make sure you’re always happy with aaaall the ghost and dragon pokemon and I won’t let your mom make you cry ever ever again..” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Zodi was surprised by his outburst but smiled brightly, holding her pinky finger out to him. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Pinky promise?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Raihan looked down at her hand then back into her eyes and wrapped his pinky finger around hers, smiling. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Pinky promise.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thunder cracked and wind howled. Zodi woke from her nap, lifting her head up to look out the window. Rain was hitting against it as the storm raged outside. She groaned softly, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Her dad’s Boltund, Bolt, was snuggled up against her at the end of the couch and her laptop and notebook were moved to the coffee table. She noticed the blanket on her and slowly pulled it off as she sat up. Her dad must have put it on her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi came home from Spikemuth earlier that afternoon and told her dad what happened. She didn’t tell him who she thought did it. She thought that would just alienate him more. She had taken more notes about Pearce before she had fallen asleep. The day had been emotionally draining for her to say the least. She picked up her notebook and glimpsed over her notes again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
  <em>
    <span>Pearce has 2 Weavile: Draxen and Mac. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>-Face scarred up </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>-Released 3 years ago. Higher power? Working for someone?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>-Imprisoned again last year </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>-Shadow serum?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>-Sinnoh Region</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>-Psychopath, murderer, scientist, oh my</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>-Ranger Zion and Cranidos murder. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed heavily. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why did that name sound so familiar…? </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Tossing the notebook back onto the coffee table, she grabbed her laptop and typed Ranger Zion’s name into the browser, tapping her fingers impatiently. She clicked on the images and froze when she saw the photograph. It was a Ranger Graduation ceremony with a photo of Ranger Zion and what looked like her dad. They were both in Ranger uniforms, smiling at the camera. She scrolled down quickly to see the caption: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Rangers Zion and Harris on graduation day </span>
  </em>
  <span>it read. She clicked off the picture and found more articles revolving around Zion and Harris’ successful missions up until Zion’s murder. She found another picture with Zion and a Machop and her dad with Cranidos. Her eyes snapped to the mantle as she quickly put the laptop down and walked over to the same photo she found online. She picked it up and there was Zion and her dad with their partners. She read the inscription on the tiny plaque on the flag box: </span>
  <em>
    <span>In Memory of Cranidos, who died bravely in the line of duty. “To the best partner I ever had.”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi stood there and stared at the photo. She felt her chest tighten. All those years, and he lied to her; never told her about any of this. She came home and brought it up, and he denied it: all of it. The sound of footsteps echoing off the walls didn’t even tear her eyes off the picture. Harris stood there, staring at his daughter. He hesitated to say anything, knowing she knew now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sweetheart…” he started but was interrupted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You lied to me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zo-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you don’t get to Zo me right now. You lied right to my face about this whole thing.” She pointed at the photo, facing him. “You did know Pearce. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> the one who put him away!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I had my reasons, Zodi.” he calmly assured her, stepping forward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi took a step back, putting the photo back on the mantle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what are they dad? Because I’m pretty fucking pissed right now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did it to protect you. You don’t know Pearce Beckett the way I do. He’s a monster.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can protect myself, dad.” she snapped, grabbing at her hair. “God, would people stop treating me like I’m just this quiet little girl? That’s not me anymore! I can handle myself just fine! I got this far!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You shouldn’t have gotten involved with the case! Spencer should have known better than to put you at risk like that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Spencer didn’t make me do anything! I went after him myself and had him come back-me-up when I found him!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pearce could have killed you!” Harris’s voice was getting louder and more frustrated by the second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, he didn’t because I’m still fucking here; still unable to do anything fucking right for my parents!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi pushed past her father and stormed upstairs </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi, get back here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shoved some overnight things into her bag and put her Pokeballs on her belt before she hurried downstairs, heading towards the front door. Harris grabbed her arm, Zodi ripping her arm away from his grasp. She glowered at her father. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We tell each other everything. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Everything! </span>
  </em>
  <span>And you betrayed that trust and made me feel like I couldn’t tell you things.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sweetheart, Zodi, please, we can talk about this right now. Where are you going? It’s awful out there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s too late to talk. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You </span>
  </em>
  <span>don’t get to decide when we get to talk. Today has been a pretty shite day, so I think I’ll go somewhere where I don’t feel like an absolute failure. Hell, maybe on the way, I’ll get struck by lightning and die! Then no one will have to fuss over me anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She opened the door and slammed it shut, releasing her Drampa. She put her hood over her head and hopped on, holding onto it as it took off. She buried her face into his neck, telling it where to go. </span>
</p><p>
  <span> Harris stood there for a moment in shock, feeling as if he was punched in the gut. He went into the kitchen and grabbed his Rotom phone and called Leon’s number. He picked up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Leon, this is Harris, Zodi’s dad…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, hey, Mr. Harris. What’s up?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, Zodi and I got into a huge argument, and she just flew off on Drampa…I’m scared she’s going to do something stupid...” Harris ran a hand through his hair, sitting down on a stool. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, wow, easy, Mr. Harris. I’m sure Zo isn’t going to do anything stupid. She’s probably just upset. Do you know where she went?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know… She didn’t tell me- I thought she’d go to you or-” he thought for a minute. “She might be going to see Raihan. She normally goes there when her mother and her get into fights like this.” Leon didn’t say anything. Harris waited, but nothing. “Leon...I hate to ask this of you because I know you’re busy, but can you please just...find her and make sure she’s okay…? She’s all I have.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, sir. I can be in Hamerlocke in an hour or so.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Leon. Thank you.” Harris’s voice cracked a little, taking a heavy deep breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, it’s no problem, Mr. Harris… She’ll be all right.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The call ended. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harris slowly put the phone on the counter, holding his head in his hands. The whole thing with Pearce had ruined his life in more ways than one, and it was continuing to do so without him anywhere near. Bolt slowly approached his owner. He nuzzled his arm before resting his head on his lap. Harris sat up carefully, petting the dog-pokemon’s head. He stood up and turned the kitchen lights off before heading upstairs, defeatedly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a flash of lightning outside. Red eyes pierced through the hedges outside in the front lawn, watching the lights shut off. It’s eyes slanted in anger, remembering the man inside the house. It snarled. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Weavile…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>There was another flash of lightning… the red eyes were gone. A crack of thunder resonated throughout the sky.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pearce stared out the window, seeing the dark storm clouds slowly roll towards Motostoke. He hummed deeply to the same old song he always hummed. It was almost eerie. The thunder could be heard in the distance, crackling and booming. The wind was beginning to pick up, flapping flags violently on their poles. A large thunderbolt struck somewhere in the Wild Area, causing a huge smirk to form on his lips. The storm was drawing nearer. Storms were beautiful and caused destruction. These storms were unlike the ones Pearce had seen back home in the Sinnoh region. Galar’s storms were wild and stunning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was another flash of lightning, and standing on the windowsill was Draxen, soaking wet with the same intensity he showed earlier. It had been a couple days since Draxen last checked in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You got some news for daddy, Draxen?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wind picked up and blew the photos off the desk. One caught Draxen’s eye and in a flash, he leapt down and sliced the picture in half with a snarl. Pearce raised an eyebrow before bending down to pick up the photograph. There was something absolutely evil about the glint in his eyes and the smirk on his face as he turned to look out the window again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So...you are here, Harris… well this is a treat…” he chuckled darkly, trailing his tongue over his bottom lip. He was almost trembling from excitement. The man who ruined his dreams and imprisoned him twenty years ago was, once again, breathing the same air as him. All those years of dreaming and wishing to kill that Ranger was finally going to come true. He so wished he could be the one to kill Harris himself; sit and watch as the life drained out of his eyes, but he had more pressing matters to attend to. “Draxen… when the storm passes… I want you to take Mac with you...and I want you to dispose of the loose end… it’s twenty years overdue…”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So uuuuuh, I kind of cut this chapter short because I lot happens next, and I didn't realize I was going to get intense with this chapter all of a sudden. I hope you guys liked it! More to come soon!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. when the party's over</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Eight</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Raihan was finishing up working with his gym trainers so they could get home before the storm hit. He had just sent the last trainer home when Viktor walked up to him, concern written on his face. Raihan was concerned, raising an eyebrow as he wondered why his front guard was here. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Viktor, what’re you doing here? Is there something wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, uh, sir, your friend is here, and she seems visibly distraught. I didn’t want to leave her in the lobby by herself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan looked behind Viktor and saw Zodi standing by the pitch, hugging herself. He gently patted Viktor on the shoulder before walking past. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Viktor, you go ahead home. I’ll shut everything down tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Viktor took one last worried glance at Zodi before leaving. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were both alone now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zo, what’s the-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t even get to finish his thought or stop. Zodi had walked up to him and hugged his waist, burying her face into his chest. Raihan was growing more concerned and wrapped his arms around her tightly, holding her close. She was soaking wet with drops of water falling from her hair that stuck out of her hood. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zo, what’s the matter…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sniffled, mumbling into his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Today has just been absolute shit…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something must have happened after she left the cafe this morning because she was never this shaken up unless something huge happened. He pushed her back gently to get her to look at him. Her eyes were red and her cheeks flushed. Smiling sadly, he moved her hair out of her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s get you out of your wet clothes first, and I’ll put them in the dryer for… alright…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her bottom lip trembled as she nodded. Raihan wrapped his arm around her and walked her into the locker room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zodi sat on one of the benches, wrapped in just a towel, staring at the wall when Raihan walked back in with her dried clothes. He set them down beside her, running a hand through her hair. She blinked a few times then tilted her head up at him, smiling softly. He smiled back, brushing her hair out of her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here’s your clothes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you…” her voice was soft as she slowly stood up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan stepped away and turned his back, giving her some privacy as she got dressed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want to talk about what happened?” he crossed his arms, attempting to resist the urge to turn around when he heard the towel drop onto the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want the short story or the long story?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm…” he clicked his tongue. “How about the short one for right now?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds fair.” He heard her stumble and curse under her breath. “Stupid pants… so basically: started my day off with whatever is up with Leon and you. Not too mad at you, but Leon, I’m kind of pissed at. Chilled with Piers, that was cool. Then I went to leave and a fuckinng fire escape almost killed me. Something wants me dead, I guess. Then I found out my dad was a Pokemon Ranger and lied about knowing this psychopath I helped capture last year which led to a whole argument. You can turn around now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan turned around and couldn’t stop himself from staring at her. She was still just in her pants and bra as she grabbed for her top. He knew he shouldn’t be thinking this at the moment, but she had an amazing body. She stopped mid-putting on her shirt and saw him staring, raising an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oi, you see something you like, dragon boy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan laughed nervously, putting his hands behind his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry… you’re just uh- really...pretty…” He was internally rolling his eyes at himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh…” he watched her put her shirt on, pulling it down over her chest. “Thanks…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span> He saw her cover her face with her hair, grabbing the towel. She tossed it in the towel bin and sat back down on the bench. He sat beside her. Zodi was staring down at her hands, wringing them slowly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You helped capture a psychopath huh? Wait, you almost died? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I did… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan shrugged, nudging her in the arm with his elbow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, don’t apologize… don’t start that. You had a lot on your mind today.” he grinned. “You know that makes you the ultimate badass out of the group now?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ Does it now?” Zodi laughed lightly, shaking her head. “I wish I felt like a badass right now…I feel like absolute shit.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was silent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zo… If anyone is going to apologize… I’m sorry for being a part of your shit day…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Oh no, it’s okay… I just don’t know what’s gotten into you and Leon since I got back… You two are best friends and you’re both acting like you hate each other…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know…” He hung his head low. “I know…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you two get in a fight or something…? Did I do something wrong…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His head quickly snapped up, shaking his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god, no, no, no… you didn’t do anything wrong, sweets! Leon has just been… really pushing my buttons lately, and it’s been actually getting to me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But why? Is there anything I can do? Do you want me to talk to him? I could try to talk some sense into him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan chuckled sadly, shaking his head again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know Leon just as well as I do… once he gets an idea in his head, he sticks to it. Plus, you’re the one having a rough day. I mean, you almost died. That’s pretty shit right there.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but it’s still not okay he’s being a dick to you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is what it is, baby girl. Did anything positive happen today?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Positive?” she hummed softly as she thought. “I mean, I got to see you twice today… Piers helped me with some things and cheered me up...I got Bolt cuddles...I had a dream about you that was kinda cute…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those are all good- a cute dream? About me? Psh. ‘Cute’ does not even come close to my good looks.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi couldn’t hold back her snort as she laughed. The Butterfrees in his stomach returned. All he wanted was her to be happy. That’s all he wanted. That’s what he always wanted for her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When you were a kid, you were cute.” she laughed again, playing with her hair. “We were kids in the dream.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah? Tell me about it since it made you happy.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… no… it was silly… You wouldn’t like it…” He nudged her again. “Okay, fine… we were like eight or nine, just sitting in my backyard. You had your Trapinch out and I had my Gastly. You got all upset because I had a crush on Leon and you wanted me to like you. Then you- you kissed me real quick and were happy when I kissed your cheek… And then…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped. Raihan rubbed her back, wondering why she stopped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And...then what…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you said you were… going to marry me one day and we’d be happy with all the ghost and dragon pokemon and you would never let my mom make me cry again… and then we pinky promised about it...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His head perked up at the dream, only it wasn’t just a dream. It was a memory from their childhood that he was even surprised he had remembered it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zo, that wasn’t just a dream.” His face lit up. “That actually happened.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It did?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it did. You were the first girl I ever kissed, and you broke the ultimate pinky promise.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did I forget about that?” There was confusion in her voice, as she looked up at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because you did everything to get Leon to notice you. You trained your pokemon stronger to battle him, you would show him your fire pokemon, plus you just forgot. We were kids, and I wasn’t Leon...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you remembered… Why do you keep comparing yourself to Leon?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan stood up and put his hands behind his head, keeping his back to her. He quickly thought of a way to avoid that question. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what would help you let off steam? A battle.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re changing the subject.” Zodi poked him in the back, raising an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yup, and I think battling would make you feel better. No dynamaxing, just an old fashioned battle.” He placed his hands on his hips, his smile showing off his sharp canines. “Unless you’re too chicken to face me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stood up in front of him, staring up into his eyes. Much like Leon and himself, he knew Zodi wouldn’t back down from a challenge. She was equally as headstrong as the two guys, but she hid it better than they did. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That a challenge, dragon boy?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah it is, ghost girl.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, we’ll do three-on-three, and I’ll raise the stakes even more. I win, you tell me the truth about the Leon situation. If I lose, I drop the subject and we carry on our normal lives.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hesitated. He didn’t expect her to raise the stakes, though knowing Zodi, anything could happen. Sighing, he walked past her out onto the pitch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess so. Let’s do this then. I hope you’re prepared to lose.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She fell in line beside him, the smirk on her face telling him he was in for a treat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You haven’t battled new Zodi.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They faced each other on opposite sides of the field. There was tension in the air. It had been a while since Zodi was on a stadium field to battle. It broke back good memories of her Gym Challenge days in Galar. Raihan flashed his fanged smirk with his hands in his pocket. He was always intense no matter what type of battle he was in. Zodi knew he was going to give it all he had. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready to lose, ghost girl?” he taunted trying to get a reaction out of her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her expression was eerily calm as she turned around, walking back to her position on the field, her hair flipping behind her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction.” She turned around, grinning, her hand placed on her pokeball. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan bit his lip and smirked more as he walked back to his spot, grabbing the first Ultra Ball on his hip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Duruladon!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lucario!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two pokemon appeared on the field, staring down the other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Duruladon, Body Press!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dodge and use Aura Sphere!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lucario leapt out of the way with a speed Raihan had never seen. Its Aura Sphere made contact, being super effective on the steel type pokemon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dragon claw!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Watch out! Ice punch!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lucario jumped out of the way in time and landed its Ice Punch on the Duruladon. The pokemon collapsed, unable to battle. Raihan called it back and sent out Flygon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Impressive. Someone’s been studying effective move types.” Raihan couldn’t deny that she had gotten better. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi shrugged. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You and Leon aren’t the only one who strategizes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ice Punch!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Flygon, Earthquake!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi cursed under her breath as poor Lucario never stood a chance with that ground move. He was breathing heavy and struggling to get up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hang on, buddy! Ice Punch!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Finish it off with Dragon Claw!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lucario managed to get a punch in before Flygon’s Dragon Claw took him out for the count. Zodi called him back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gardevoir! Use Shadow Sneak then Draining Kiss!” She saw Raihan flinch at the </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Flygon, Crunch and dodge!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flygon went to attack but Gardevoir disappeared. Flygon looked around the field for the pokemon but was attacked out of nowhere, then hit by the fairy move. The Flygon collapsed to the ground, unable to continue. Raihan growled, calling back his pokemon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodra! Hydro Pump followed by Sludge Bomb!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dodge and use Draining Kiss!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gardevoir twirled out of the way of the water-type movie but wasn’t fast enough to dodge the poison attack. She was looking pretty rugged, trying to stay standing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Gardevoir! Draining Kiss followed by Misty Terrain! I believe in you, sweetheart!” Gardevoir made the attack, regaining some of her health back. The field became covered in mist. Raihan was overjoyed by the terrain change, surprised she even used one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sludge Bomb again followed by Thunder! Give it all you got, bud!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get out of the way and use Mystical Fire!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gardevoir dodged the Sludge Bomb that time but was unable to dodge the Thunder attack. She collapsed to the floor. Zodi called her back into her ball. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice try, sweetheart.” she told the pokemon before reaching for her final mon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seems like we’re down to our third and final pokemon, sweetheart.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seems like it. Kommo-o! I choose you! Let’s go, baby!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan’s eyes widened at the sight of the Kommo-o. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodra! Life Dew then Sludge Bomb!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dodge it and use Dragon Claw followed by Clanging Scales!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Goodra healed itself some and attacked, but Kommo-o dodged and hit it with it’s Dragon Claw. It was super effective. The Goodra had no chance when Kommo-o used it’s final move. The Goodra fainted, being sent back to its Ultra Ball. Kommo-o walked over to Zodi proudly, getting a huge hug from her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s my good boy! Oh my goodness, you did so well, my sweet little dragon baby!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan walked over to the two slowly. He was shocked by how strong she had become over the years, and he was curious about her Kommo-o. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Jangmo-o I gave you all those years ago… is that…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi nodded, smiling as she stroked the dragon’s neck. Kommo-o gazed up at Raihan and nuzzled his head against his stomach. Raihan couldn’t help but smile down at the pokemon, stroking the top of its head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, buddy. Wow, you’ve gotten so big and strong…” He bent down and examined his scales. “Good shape too, but I wouldn’t expect less from how amazing your trainer is.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Raihan…” Her face was flushed. “Good battle.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was bloody amazing, Zo. Your skills are out of this world.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Flattery won’t get you out of the bet.” she teased, causing a groan to escape him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, but I’m being honest too.” He stood up, and Zodi put Kommo-o back in its ball. “Let me go heal our Pokemon. I would love to see the rest of your team.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Both Raihan and Zodi let their Pokemon out. Raihan hadn’t seen Gengar in a long time, except on televised battles she had in other regions, and he had never actually seen a Torterra in person before. Flygon flew around Zodi a few times, happily, crying out before going to play with Drampa. Gengar kept phasing in and out around Raihan playfully. Raihan looked back and forth before spinning around once. Zodi laughed at the interaction, smiling brightly at Gengar and Raihan. Raihan never treated her Ghost Pokemon differently and was always happy to see them, unlike other people she knew. He understood why she loved them so much. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Gengar. What’s up, man? Wow, you were a Haunter last time I saw you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Flygon was only a Vibrava last time I saw it.” She watched Flygon for a moment before her eyes trailed back to Raihan, now bending down to talk to Gengar. Gengar looked so pleased to see Raihan. It noticed the looks Zodi and Raihan kept exchanging at one another, and he disappeared, reappearing beside Lucario, calling out to Flygon. They had a quiet conversation amongst themselves before Lucario nodded and Flygon circled in the air. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan watched the Pokemon from his crouched position for a minute, just happy to see they were all getting along. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now you need to spill what’s going on between you and Leon.” She crossed her arms, looking down at him for once in their entire friendship. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I… you see-” he stood up slowly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lucario had walked up behind Zodi and pushed her towards Raihan as Flygon swirled around the two in the air, causing a tailwind to push them together. Zodi held her hands out and caught herself, pressed against Raihan’s chest. Raihan wrapped his arms around her to keep her from falling. They both locked eyes with one another, unable to speak. Their hearts were racing. Raihan swallowed hard, feeling his throat go dry out of nowhere. Someone cleared their throat, causing the two to snap their heads in that direction. There stood Leon with his fists curled and his body trembling in anger. Zodi and Raihan broke away from one another, Zodi smoothing out her shirt. Leon’s amber eyes were blazing with anger as he turned away and started storming out of the stadium. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leon! Wait! Raihan, please watch my Pokemon. Leon, wait!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She ran after him, all her pokemon staring off after her, concerned. Gengar disappeared, following after her, keeping in the shadows. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wind had picked up outside as the huge storm was beginning to come over Hammerlocke. Leon had reached past the bridge when Zodi caught up to him. She tried stepping in front of him, but he would just step around her, avoiding eye contact. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leon, please-” she grabbed his arm only for him to stop and rip his arm out of her grip. “That was nothing-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing? Nothing? You were practically all over each other!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No no! I was pushed and he caught me! Nothing happened, I swear!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, and what would have happened if I hadn’t walked in? Hm?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing! Leon, you know me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Honestly, Zo, I don’t think I do anymore. You’re always with him and you always stick up for him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I always stick up for him because you’re being a complete fucking asshole to him all the time!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I have the damn right to be an asshole when he’s got his hands all over </span>
  <em>
    <span>my </span>
  </em>
  <span>girlfriend all the time!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Raihan and I aren’t sneaking around, if that’s what you’re implying.” Zodi was beginning to become defensive and pissed off the more Leon spoke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure about that? Because the way you both look at each other says otherwise.” he spat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what? You know where this is coming from? You’re insecure. It’s made you possessive...jealous… and you can’t stand it that someone else can make me happy.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not- Zodi, I-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you absolutely hate it when you’re not the center of attention. You hate it that I have guy friends who care about me and who I can trust. You hate how close I am to Raihan and how happy he makes me because it’s not. About. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And I’m getting sick and tired of it. It’s draining. It hurts me. You blacken my name with your implications and you have no right to treat </span>
  <em>
    <span>our </span>
  </em>
  <span>best friend like shit just because </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>feel insecure about </span>
  <em>
    <span>your </span>
  </em>
  <span>relationship; a four year relationship, I may had, where I have been nothing but loyal to </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>for that many years. And I don’t think I can go on dating someone who constantly believes I’m cheating on them.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi, what do you mean?” Leon’s voice suddenly was soft, trying to process what she just said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re done, Leon. This. Us. We’re done.” Her eyes were watery badly, trying her hardest to hold it together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zo, you can’t mean-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re over, Leon. You fucking happy now? You satisfied with yourself?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi began quickly walking off in the opposite direction of the stadium, covering her mouth as she choked back a sob. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi, wait!” He went to grab her arm only for Gengar to appear in front of him, snarling at him. Its glare was intense and full of rage, causing Leon to back up carefully with his hands held up. Gengar snarled once more before disappearing again to go after Zodi. Leon just stared at where Zodi had stood moments before and felt like his whole world was crashing around him. The rain began to pelt down as thunder rumbled in the sky above. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, I actually cried and may still be crying over hurting Leon. T_T I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! This was my first time writing a Pokemon battle. <br/>If you're curious about Zodi's Pokemon, these are her babies and their moves: <br/>Gengar -  Moves: Thunder, Shadow Ball, Phantom Force, Drain Punch<br/>Gardevoir - Misty Terrain, Draining Kiss, Shadow Sneak, Mystical Fire<br/>Lucario -  Aura Sphere, Ice Punch, Retaliate, Iron Tail<br/>Drampa - Play Nice, Dragon Breath, Blizzard, Draco Meteor<br/>Kommo-o - Stealth Rock, Clanging Scales, Rock Slide, Dragon Claw<br/>Torterra -  Earthquake, Sunny Day, Earth Power, Sleep Talk</p><p>I've been in love with Gengar for so long, it's kind of ridiculous, and I've loved Lucario since 2005 when Lucario and The Mystery of Mew movie came out. I'm also hella weak for Dragon Pokemon and Fairy-Type. I gave Zodi a Torterra because my friend Harleigh loves Torterra and I told her she could choose a Pokemon for Zodi's team for helping me figure out character stuff.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Always You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter Nine: </p><p> </p><p>Minutes passed and Zodi didn’t come back. He waited longer and she still didn’t come back. She grabbed her Pokeball belt off the ground. He was about to put her pokemon in their balls when he noticed Gengar was missing. He returned her Pokemon with the exception of Lucario and returned his pokemon to their Ultra Balls. He quickly put her belt in her bag and put it over his shoulders, turning to Lucario. </p><p>“Lucario, come with me.” </p><p>Lucario nodded and followed beside Raihan. They hurried outside, Raihan quickly putting his hood over his head as the rain began to pelt down on them. He saw Leon walking away from the stadium. </p><p>“Leon!” Raihan called after him, but he didn’t seem to hear him. He kept walking and rounded the corner. “Leon! Shit… Lucario, we need to find Zodi. Can you find her?” </p><p>Lucario nodded and closed his eyes, his ears rising. It started running towards the stairway that leads down into the Wild Area. Raihan cursed under his breath and ran after Lucario. </p><p> </p><p>Zodi was curled up, with her knees tucked into her chest, under one of the rock arches in the Wild Area when Raihan and Lucario found her. She had her head in her arms, sobbing and trembling. Gengar was protectively standing beside her, watching for anyone or any pokemon that may try to come near. Gengar saw Raihan and Lucario and eased up his guard, letting Raihan under the arch. Raihan crouched down and shook her arms gently. </p><p>“Zodi, are you crazy? You had one pokemon. You could have been hurt.” He scolded before realizing she was sobbing heavily. He softened his voice. “Zodi, why are you crying…?”</p><p>She lifted her head up with tears streaming down her face still, sniffling. She shook her head, running a hand through her hair, avoiding his gaze. Raihan tilted her head up gently with his hand. </p><p>“Baby girl, you gotta tell me what happened…He didn’t hurt you did he?” </p><p>She shook her head, clenching her eyes shut as new tears trailed down her face. </p><p>“No… no he didn’t hurt me… I hurt him…”</p><p>“What? You would never-”</p><p>“I broke up with him, Raihan…” she choked on a sob. </p><p>Raihan’s face dropped as he heard what she said. He never expected that and knew how much she hated hurting people, even if it was what was best for her. </p><p>“Oh…”</p><p>“Yeah…” she wiped her eyes, angrily. “I’m sorry I keep crying…” </p><p>“No no no… sh sh sh… you can cry all you want. It’s okay to cry…” he wiped her tears away, smiling sadly. “Let’s get you out of the rain, though, okay…? I don’t want you catching a cold. Can you stand?” </p><p>Zodi nodded slowly. He wrapped an arm around her and helped her to her feet, keeping her close. Gengar and Lucario followed suit as they walked back towards Hammerlocke. </p><p> </p><p>After they had gotten Lucario and Gengar dried off at Raihan’s house and put back in their balls, they both took hot showers after being out in the rain. Raihan let Zodi take a shower in his bathroom and placed some clothes out for her on the bed since the ones she had in her bag were soaked. He went into the spare bathroom to take his shower, giving her some space. </p><p>She walked out into the bedroom after finishing in the bathroom and found the clothes he had left out. She put them on. Even at 5’10”, Zodi was still significantly shorter than Raihan, so the shirt looked almost like a short dress on her and she had to roll the legs up to the sweatpants. The long sleeve shirt had Raihan’s scent on it, and it brought her some comfort in her numb state. She walked out into his living room, curling herself up at the end of the couch. She checked her phone, seeing she had missed calls from her dad, Leon, and her mother, surprisingly, and a few text messages. She put her phone on the table, ignoring the notifications, and hugged herself, looking around the room for a distraction. </p><p>A lot of people wouldn’t know by his appearance, but Raihan was a huge history nerd on top of being in love with Dragon-type Pokemon. He had an old tapestry from the Johto region hanging on his wall. It had a tall golden tower with cherry blossoms falling and the two legendary pokemon, Lugia and Ho-Oh, were circling it. On the other side of the wall, he had different swords throughout all the regions’ history from Kantonian to Galarian, and to no surprise, they were inscripted or had a dragon design on them. The one that caught her eye the most was one she had never seen in his collection before. It was a jade green sheath with Rayquaza wrapping around it. There were a few picture frames on the television stand: one of him and his parents, another of Zodi and him, then one of Leon and him.</p><p>The sound of footsteps snapped her back, as she saw Raihan walk out of the spare bathroom with a hoodie and sweatpants on. His hair was wet and tied back out of his face as he walked into the kitchenette, plugging his kettle up to the wall. She quietly watched him as he moved around the kitchen, towering over everything. </p><p>“What kind of tea would you like?” he called out to her calmly, setting two mugs on the counter. </p><p>“Whatever you’re having is fine.” she tried smiling, but it disappeared in a second. </p><p>After a few minutes, he walked over to the couch and handed her her cup of tea. She quietly thanked him before he walked back into the kitchen. She let the cup warm her hands for a couple minutes before taking a few sips from it. It was just the way she liked it. She had no idea how he even remembered that after all this time. A pleasant scent flooded the room when Raihan came back in with two bowls of hot ramen soup in one hand and his tea in the other. He set his tea down before handing her a bowl. She put her tea down and took the bowl as he sat down beside her on the couch. He pulled two spoons out of his hoodie pocket, one for each of them. </p><p>“Eat that. It’ll warm you up.” </p><p>They ate in silence. The ramen was actually delicious: a little spicy and warm. It definitely made Zodi feel warmer. </p><p>“Since when did you learn to cook like this?” she asked when she was finished, Raihan taking their bowls into the kitchen, putting them in the sink. </p><p>“It’s my mum’s recipe. I just like cooking, I guess. A lot of time to myself.” </p><p>Zodi was surprised he brought up his mom. He usually never talked about her since she passed away. He came back and sat beside her again. She rubbed her arms. </p><p>“You did good, dragon boy.”</p><p>Raihan smiled. Noticing she was cold, he pulled off his hoodie and put it over her head. She wiggled her arms through the sleeves and poked her head out, shaking her hair out. She looked at him and blushed seeing how he didn’t have a shirt on under his hoodie. She looked up at his face, trying not to look at his ripped figure. </p><p>“You didn’t have to do that...won’t you get cold?” </p><p>“Nah, I’ll be okay. I usually don’t sleep with anything on.” He shrugged, criss crossing his legs. </p><p>“Oh…” Her eyes widened slightly as she grabbed her tea, sipping it slowly. <em> Definitely didn’t need that image in my head right now. Oof… </em></p><p>“Of course I’m going to wear clothes with you here.” </p><p>“I greatly appreciate that.” She brought the hood up over her head and stared down at her mug. </p><p>“You want to talk about it…?” He almost hesitated asking her. </p><p>“What’s there to talk about when you spend four years with someone, completely loyal, and they just think you’re cheating on them because you’re hanging out with your best friend you hadn’t seen in two years? Like I guess I can’t be happy with other people because that just makes me a slut and causes someone you loved a lot to be insecure about himself and his relationship. What’s there to talk about? We can talk about how apparently I’ve been sneaking around with you behind Leon’s back without my knowledge because wow, you would think I would know if we were doing that or something. I must’ve missed the memo somewhere that that was what we were supposed to be doing.”</p><p>“Wow, wow, wow. Repeat that last part.” Raihan’s eyes narrowed, his hands curling and uncurling into fists. </p><p>“What? The part where asshole thought we were sleeping with one another?”</p><p>His knuckles were turning white from how tight his fists were clenched. Anyone who believed Zodi would do a thing like that was an idiot and deserved to be decked in the mouth for even thinking that. He saw Zodi’s body trembling, and he calmed down. </p><p>“Come here, baby girl…” he held his arms out to her. </p><p>She put her mug down and crawled over to him, snuggling up against his side. He enveloped her in his arms and kissed the top of her head, rubbing her arm. She sighed heavily, nestling her head into his neck, wrapping her arms around his waist tightly. </p><p>“I really loved that idiot once…” she sniffled. </p><p>Raihan took a deep breath, resting his chin on the top of her head, staring at the wall sadly. </p><p>“I know… I know…” </p><p>They sat like that for a while before she lifted her head, rubbing her eyes sleepily. Their faces were close to one another. Raihan thought he stopped breathing for a moment and had to remind himself to breathe. He just wanted to kiss her and make her feel safe and okay again, but he knew he couldn’t do that to her right now or to himself for that matter. He leaned forward and pressed his lips on her forehead, brushing his thumb over her cheek gently. This got a small smile out of her. </p><p>“Thank you…” </p><p>“For what?” he raised an eyebrow. </p><p>“For being a good friend…” </p><p>He chuckled softly, smiling. </p><p>“Anything for you, Ghostie… You should get some rest… You can sleep in my room.”</p><p>“But where will you sleep…?”</p><p>“I will… sleep on the couch. My spare room is kind of occupied at the moment…” Zodi tilted her head, raising her eyebrows, her eyes beginning to droop tiredly. “Not like that! I have two dragon eggs incubating in there.” </p><p>“Oh, okay... But you should sleep in your bed. You’re bigger than the couch... You’ll be uncomfortable…”</p><p>“Zodi, you sleep in my bed. I’ll be okay out here.” </p><p>“I don’t want to be alone right now, though…” she finally admitted, lowering her head. </p><p>Raihan sighed softly. </p><p>“You want me to sleep with you tonight?” </p><p>She nodded sleepily, not looking at him. He slowly stood up and picked her up carefully. She wrapped her arms around his neck, laying her head against his shoulder, trying to keep her eyes open. He turned the lights off and walked her into his room, resting her on the bed, pulling the covers over her. He got under the covers, Zodi curling up beside him. She rested her head on his chest, beginning to drift off. He wrapped an arm around her, rubbing circles on her back. </p><p>“G’night…” she mumbled. </p><p>“Good night, Zodi…” She mumbled something incoherently. “Hm…?”</p><p>“I love you…” her voice drifted off as she fell asleep. </p><p>He looked down at her, ghosting his fingers along the side of her face. <span>She always said she loved him, but this time it felt different, and it made his heart ache. He pressed his lips against the top of her head. </span></p><p>
  <span>“I love you, too…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>WEDGEHURST Early Morning: </p><p>Harris hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before. He was surprised he got a text from Raihan last night, telling him Zodi was staying with him the night and that she’s just upset, but okay. That only eased his worrying slightly. </p><p>He pushed his glasses back on his nose with his Rotom Phone pressed to his ear as he was putting his graded papers in his satchel. Bolt was laying on the kitchen floor, asleep. </p><p>“Spenser, I really don’t care about that, I care that you got <em> my </em>daughter involved in all of this.” He growled. </p><p>“Harris, man. It wasn’t my intention to get her involved. I didn’t even realize it was her until she introduced herself.” </p><p>“You let a nineteen year old take down a psychopath, by herself.” </p><p>“Harris, she’s a lot like you. She’s more than capable of handling-”</p><p>“I am well aware of that, Spenser, but I know Pearce, and I can’t lose Zodi like I lost-” he stopped himself, inhaling deeply. </p><p>“Man… you gotta stop beating yourself up over that… that was twenty years ago…” </p><p>“I know… I just-” The sound of glass shattering in a room upstairs caused him to stop. Bolt’s head perked up and he started growling, the hair on the back of his neck sticking up. Harris slowly looked up at the ceiling, slowly pulling his phone from his ear. “Spenser, I’m going to have to call you back…”</p><p>“Harris, what’s going-” his voice was cut off as the call dropped. </p><p>Harris slowly made his way towards the stairs when another crash and yelp from the kitchen was heard. The sound of an electricity followed before it was cut off by another pain-filled yelp. That was Bolt, yelping. He went to hurry into the kitchen to help his Pokemon when he froze. The sound of claws retracting caused him to slowly turn around. The Pokemon snarled and smirked evilly at him with it’s blood red eyes focused on Harris. </p><p>
  <em> “Weeeavile…”  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hiiii, so I'm so sorry for all the angsty, but uh... it's about to get angstier, my dudes. </p><p>Also hi, I have this headcanon that Raihan is a huge history nerd since he's the Guardian of the Vault in Hammerlocke and I think that's also a title his family has had for years and it was passed down to their first born children. Like Raihan became the guardian and gym leader when his father wanted to retire for reasons and yeah. I have a lot of Raihan feelings. So yeah, I thought I'd kind of incorporate that in this chapter a bit (it will also pop up later. ehehe). I hope you guys enjoyed it. I may make myself cry again with the next chapter. Byyyyye for nooooow. (I assure you, happiness will happen. I promise. T_T)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The Dark Side of the Moon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Ten:</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next morning, Zodi got out of her Flying Taxi when she arrived at Wedgehurst. She started walking towards home when her phone rang. The Rotom Phone flew out of her pocket and landed in her hand. She answered the call, wondering who would be calling her this early in the morning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, is this Zodi?” a woman’s worried voice came from the other end. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is her, may I ask who is calling?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My name is Rose Ravenwood, I’m the secretary at the university under your father’s department. I called because I’m a bit worried. Your father never showed up for his morning class this morning, and he hasn’t answered any of his calls.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This alarmed Zodi. Her dad never missed a class and always answered his calls, no matter the situation. She continued walking as she talked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s weird… He never misses a class…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s what I said as well… Do you know why he didn’t come in?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I wasn’t home last night. I’m almost ho-” She froze. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The kitchen window was broken and the upstairs window was broken as well. Her heart felt like it stopped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ms. Ravenwood, I’m going to have to call you back.” she ended the call and cautiously stepped up to the front door, slowly opening the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Broken picture frames were on the floor, glass littered everywhere. Furniture was broken as though there was a struggle or angry altercation. There were deep claw marks on the wall as she stepped inside, glass cracking under her boots. She took a closer look at the claw marks, having seen them before back in the Sinnoh region and at Spikemuth. She glanced down and saw blood spots on the ground. Her heart was threatening to beat out of her chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Arceus… please don’t do this to me… please… </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard the weak sound of whimpering coming from the kitchen. There was more blood  as she made her way to the kitchen. Papers were ripped and spewed all over the floor, more glass on the floor. She gasped as she saw Boltund, battered and on the verge of fainting, laying beside her unconscious father on the floor. She ran over to him and fell to her knees beside him. He had deep claw marks down his chest and was completely covered in blood. She cupped his face gently, beginning to find it hard to breathe. She tried to put pressure on his chest wounds to try and stop the bleeding, tears welling up in her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad…? Dad, wake up… Dad… Daddy! Rotom, call for help! Daddy, please get up!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The waiting room was quiet. Anyone who walked past Zodi quickly walked past with horrified expressions on their faces. She didn’t notice them. She just stared at the wall blankly, completely devoid of feeling. She had been sitting there for hours. She was still covered in her dad’s dried up blood. The nurses tried to get her to change, but she refused to leave the waiting room. They had gotten Bolt healed up and let him wait with her. Bolt whimpered, resting his head on her lap as he looked up at her sadly. Zodi broke from her trance and glanced down at the pokemon, stroking the top of his head to comfort him. She heard two sets of footsteps approach her. Raihan towered over her while Leon stood back a bit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re just having a rough couple days, aren’t you, Zo…?” he stroked her hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The gentle gesture drove her close to breaking. She just nodded. He sat down beside her quickly and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Zodi plopped her head on his shoulder, glancing up at Leon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>here?” she grumbled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-” he began only for Raihan to interject on his behalf.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I called him and told him your dad was in the hospital.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your dad is like a dad to me, and… I wanted to be here for you both… I can leave if you want me to...” Leon kept his head hung low, wringing his hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi thought for a moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can stay…” she mumbled, sitting up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leon sat in the chair opposite of them, watching the two. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have they said anything yet?” Raihan asked, rubbing her back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should have gone home last night… I shouldn’t have left like that… I didn’t say nice things to him last night… what if that’s the last thing I said to him?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She clenched her hands into fists as she fought by the angry tears welling up in her eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zo, you can’t think like that…” Leon leaned forward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told him I could be struck by lightning and die so no one would fuss over me anymore… I wasn’t even there for him when he needed me…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi, stop.” Raihan’s tone made Zodi go quiet, lowering her head. “You couldn’t have predicted this happening…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded slowly, continuing to pet Bolt. They waited another hour. Raihan managed to convince Zodi to change and clean up a little, much to the appreciation of the nurse staff that was struggling with that earlier. Zodi went into the bathroom and washed the blood off her hands and arms, watching the bloodied water swirl down the drain. The image of her dad laying there on the floor still burned vividly in her mind. Turning the water off, she gripped onto the sink, staring herself in the mirror. Those claw marks were from a Weavile, that was a fact she was sure of. It was a thought she didn’t want to think about, but it kept popping up in her head. Pearce had to be behind this, somehow. There wasn’t any proof yet, but she would figure this out one way or another. She changed into the spare clothes she still had in her bag and threw the stained ones in the bag before walking back out to the guys. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was definitely heavy tension between the two guys as she walked over, and they tried to hide it as best as they could. Leon kept shooting dirty looks Raihan’s way, and Raihan was trying to avoid looking at him in general. The doctor walked out, Zodi meeting her halfway. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is my dad-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your dad is going to be alright…” she calmly told her. “He lost a lot of blood, but he’s stable. He’s very lucky the slash marks didn’t go any deeper than they had.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can we see him?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doctor looked warily at Leon and Raihan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What relation do they have to the patient?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan and Leon went to speak, but Zodi beat them to it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They are my brothers. We’re triplets.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doctor looked between the three before she shrugged lightly stepping aside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Room 309. I ask you not to overwhelm him and to make it brief. He needs to rest.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you very much. Come on bros.” She smiled at the doctor as she walked down the hallway with both Leon and Raihan on either side of her. Raihan snorted quietly, biting his lip to hold back his laughter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Triplets?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I had to think of something!” her voice was hushed so the nurses couldn’t hear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stopped in front of the door after making sure no one was around and turned to both of them. She pointed at Leon first. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re still not okay, and I’m doing this because you mean a lot to my dad and care about him a lot. No bickering between either of you or I will ask you both to leave, understood?” She waved her finger at both of them, they both nodded in agreement, glancing at one another before looking the opposite way. Zodi huffed. “Good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She walked into the room, Bolt trotting behind her. Raihan stepped to the side and let Leon go first. Leon grumbled and walked past him into the room, earning a small grin out of Raihan as he followed, ducking under the door frame. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The monitor echoed throughout the room. Harris was in a hospital bed, hooked up to machines. The three stopped, taken aback by the state he was in. He had stitches going up the side of his face, his skin was pale with smaller cuts and bruises along his face and body. The bandages over his chest peeked from under his hospital gown. Bolt trotted over to him before Zodi could stop him, nuzzling and licking Harris’s hand. His fingers twitched some, before his hand weakly raised and petted the pokemon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bolt, no no no… You gotta let dad-” Zodi went to pull the pokemon away then stopped when she saw his hand move. She glanced up at his face as his eyes opened slowly. “Dad…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He barely turned his head and looked at her with half lidded eyes, smiling feebly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, princess…” his voice was hoarse and quiet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daddy, I’m so sorry…” The tears she was fighting back earlier came running down her face, as she sat in the chair beside the bed. She crossed her arms on the bed before resting her head on top of her arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey now, sh sh…” He raised his hand and stroked her hair lovingly. “I’m sorry…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She lifted her face up, sniffling, looking down at him. He brought his hand around and brushed her tears off her cheeks with his thumb. He glanced over and smiled at the guys. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“M’boys are here, too…? Wow… I must look like total shit, then, if it was that bad…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His humor got a few chuckles out of the three. Raihan came around the other side and leaned down, pressing his forehead against Harris’s, a gesture he used with his own father and Harris.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, pops. You scared us there for a bit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Harris patted Raihan’s arm gently. Leon stepped up to him and gently grasped the top of his hand, smiling lightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You doing all right, Mr. Harris?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean...other than feelin’ like utter shit and waking up to not wearing any pants… I guess I’m doing alright…” he chuckled softly, flinching a little. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my God, dad, really…?” Zodi laughed, wiping her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, pants are constricting. I see no issue waking up pantless.” Raihan put his hands behind his head, shrugging lightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pants </span>
  <em>
    <span>are </span>
  </em>
  <span>constricting…” Harris tried hard not to laugh. “Arceus, it hurts to laugh…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, pops.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leon gave Raihan the dirtiest side eye, causing Raihan to roll his eyes. Harris glimpsed between the two, noticing. He didn’t say anything. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad, who did this to you…?” Zodi quietly asked, rubbing his arm comfortingly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned his head to her, his smiling face a moment ago gone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Two Weavile…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are Weavile doing in Wedgehurst?” Leon raised his eyebrow curiously, folding his arms across his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘Cause somehome I locked away...years ago...sent them to kill me…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t know if it was-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi, baby, they were his...they knew-they knew who I was…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Someone sent Pokemon to kill you? Why would someone want to kill a professor? Did you give them a bad grade?” Raihan glanced over at Leon who was staring at him with a what-the-actual-fuck-dude expression on his face. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harris smiled, shaking his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t always a Professor...I was a special operative in the Ranger division of Fiore before you all were born…” He took a moment to let the stinging pain go away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to talk about this right now, dad… you need to rest…” Zodi brushed his hair out of his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No...I should have told you this years ago…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“After Zion and Cranidos…” he took a breath before continuing. “died... and Pearce was locked away...it was getting too dangerous...and Regina… she worried all the time...hated every time I went out on a job...she didn’t want you to end up like me...I thought if I kept it quiet, I’d be able to save my marriage and protect my family...shit comes back and bites ya hard in the ass, doesn’t it…?” He took her hand into his, squeezing it feebly. “I can’t lose you like I lost my two best friends…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad...you won’t lose me…I’ve got my team and these two himbos…” This got him to smile again. “But if it is Pearce, we need to tell the cops-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harris scoffed, shaking his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those bumbling idiots won’ t do shit… for all we know, Pearce is still in prison...they didn’t do anything last time.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need to get ahold of Spenser… if he’s not already on his way here…everything you need on Pearce… are in files in my desk… bottom left drawer...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi went to speak but she stopped and simply just nodded, understanding. A younger nurse walked into the room and smiled, seeing Harris was awake. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you’re awake. That’s good. Miss, there’s an officer waiting outside to speak to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The nurse’s attention went to Raihan as she discreetly checked him out. Zodi’s eyes narrowed, clearing her throat. She did not like how she was looking at him like he was a snack. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, I’ll be right out.” She said a little more rudely than intended. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>All the guys were a little surprised by Zodi’s sudden rudeness.The nurse blushed as she nodded, walking out. Zodi watched her leave with a dark glare on her eyes then turned her attention back to her father and her expression softened. She stood up and leaned forward, pressing her lips against his forehead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you, dad…I’ll see you later..” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too, sweetheart…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bolt, you stay here and watch out for dad. Got it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bolt barked once, wagging his tail. She smiled and patted his head before she walked out. Raihan and Leon went to follow her. Harris grabbed Raihan by the arm making him stop. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two… I want to talk to you.” They both stood there, waiting for him to continue. “I don’t know what’s going on… between you two, but Zodi needs you both right now… Don’t let her be alone through this…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both nodded. Raihan placed his hand over Harris’s and smiled sadly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get some rest, pops…We’ll make sure she’s okay…”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kind of hated the end of this chapter because a lot changed from the original idea for this scene, but it's okay, it served it's purpose. Hahaha</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Have No Fearow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Eleven:</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After the past two days, all Zodi wanted to do was sleep and snuggle up to her pokemon away from people. But that wasn’t about to happen. Leon had left the hospital without saying anything, and Raihan had gone with her to her house. Cops had everything tapped off and had men guarding the outside. Zodi tried to get past but the cop stepped in front of her, blocking her way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, miss, but no one is allowed in. Crime scene.” His voice was deep and had a heavy accent, almost an arrogant sense of authority in his tone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is my house.” Zodi was taller by a few inches and tried to walk past him. She was stopped again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Miss, I’m sorry, but I can’t let anyone on the premises.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You expect me to be homeless or something? I just need to get something.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just following my orders, Miss. I’m going to have to ask you to leave, or you will be escorted off the premises.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi-” Raihan tried to interject, but Zodi blew up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I need to get into my house and these morons are investigating a pokemon attack! A kid could figure this out!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you just say?” The officer began to get in Zodi’s face to be startled by the sudden cry of a Fearow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> The three turned around as a Fearow and two Pidgeot landed. Three people slid off the pokemon. The one on the Fearow was the only one Zodi recognized. He was about her father’s age with smokey green hair that met his shoulders. His hair was pushed back out of his face with a white headband and he wore a Ranger uniform. The Fearow growled at the officer, causing him to back away from Zodi a couple steps. The man shoved his hands in his pockets and walked up to the three. He tilted his head up to look at Raihan, his head barely meeting his shoulders. He nodded, then turned his head to the officer, the officer realizing who he was instantly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ranger Spenser… what are you-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is there a problem here?” he ordered, locking eyes with the officer, making him uncomfortable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The officer tried to keep eye contact, but he crumpled under pressure and looked the other way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The young lady here, sir… is trying to get into the house while it’s under investigation…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I think we can figure this out in a more civilized manner, don’t you think, officer?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh uh, yes, sir...I think so, sir…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, good.” Spenser’s voice was calm and smooth yet still had an air of authority in it. “How about I supervise her as she gets what she needs? That way you don’t get in trouble, and so we can get on with our evening? Sound fair?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes-yes, sir.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned to the two other rangers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You lot stay here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spenser wrapped an arm around Zodi and walked with her up the front steps. The officer went to block Raihan, but Spenser raised his hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The boyfriend can come, too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan smirked as he heard the officer grumble, allowing him to pass. He caught up with the other two in a moment. Zodi blushed, glancing up at Spenser. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s not my boyfriend…” she mumbled shyly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, looked like he was. Oh well. Anyway, hey, kid, how are ya?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, Spenser. I feel like shit. How are you? What are you doing here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was talking to your dad this morning and heard something concerning. I heard about what happened over the radio. Is he okay?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi saw the concern etched on his face. She smiled lightly, nodding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, he’s going to be alright.” She glanced up at Raihan, who looked incredibly confused. “Oh, Raihan, this is Ranger Spenser, Spenser, this is Raihan, he’s the final Gym Leader here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, this is dragon boy? Nice to meet you, kid.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan looked from Zodi to Spenser and nodded hesitantly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pleasure to meet you, sir…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s a friend of my dad’s… I helped him out last year with that thing I told you about yesterday…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oooh, okay, Gotchya.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stepped inside, glass crunching under their feet as they made for the stairs walking upstairs. Zodi went straight for her dad’s office and opened the bottom left drawer. All the files were there. Spenser leaned against the door frame while Raihan bent down to see what she was doing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rai, can you get one of my backpacks out of my closet, please?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yup.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He disappeared to the room next door. She flinched when she heard a loud thump and an ow come from the next room. Raihan was back in a few moments, ducking under the door frame, handing her the bag. He was rubbing his forehead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, love.” she took it and began putting the files into the bag. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s in those?” Spenser inquired, keeping an eye on the hallway. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad’s files on Pearce…” she trailed off, checking the remaining files before zipping the bag up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think Pearce did this?” Spenser sounded surprised by this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, two Weavile attacked dad and one tried to kill me in Spikemuth.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stood up, throwing the backpack over her shoulders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Either you guys pissed off a couple of Weavile or the Sinnoh Police Force are trying to cover something up. I haven’t heard anything over the wires of Pearce escaping.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It has to be him. Dad said it was his Weavile who attacked him. I just have this feeling.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then you can’t stay here.” Spenser told her. “If it’s him, it’s too dangerous for you to be here by yourself.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where am I supposed to go?” Zodi grabbed at her hair, sighing heavily. “I’d rather have Pearce show up than go to Regina’s.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ouch, yeah, don’t blame you.” Spenser agreed, rubbing the back of his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No one spoke for a short time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can stay with me.” Raihan finally spoke up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spenser raised his eyebrow curiously, folding his arms across his chest. Zodi stared at Raihan, not sure how to react to that. She didn’t want to impose on him, and she certainly didn’t want to deal with how Leon would react to her living with Raihan temporarily. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why does it matter what Leon thinks? You’re not with him anymore. Raihan is just trying to help you out. You know you want to stay with him. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head at her thoughts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rai, I can’t do that to you…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes you can. I have an extra room, and you wouldn’t be by yourself.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, but-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to do this alone anymore.” Raihan ran a hand through her hair gently, smiling down at her.. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shuddered slightly at the feeling of his hand through her hair. It felt nice and gentle and made her feel safe. His comment  also made her stop and think. She had gone through so many things alone over the past four years, and it was the hardest and the most awful feeling, she forgot what it felt like to have someone there to be there for her in person. She sighed, and nodded, leaning into his hand without realizing it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure…?” she asked hesitantly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I’m sure.” Raihan reassured her, brushing his thumb over her cheek. “Go get your things, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took the bag off her shoulders and threw it over his shoulder as she went to pack her back. She packed what she thought she’d need and went into her dad’s room packing him a bag since he’d be in the hospital for a while. Once she was done, they walked downstairs and back outside to the other Rangers and the Officer. Spenser took the overnight bag for Harris from Zodi and smiled at her before turning to his Rangers, his stern expression returning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alexander, I want you to scout the neighboring towns and cities and see if you can find anything. Report to me if anything comes up.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir.” the younger Ranger responded, hopping onto his Pidgeot. They took off and were gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lexi, you’re with me. We’ll be on protection detail for Harris, so we’ll need to find Pokemon to assist us.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aye, sir.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spenser turned back to Zodi, throwing the back over his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about your dad, Zodi. He’s in good hands. You can trust us.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know I can.” She threw her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spenser was taken aback but wrapped an arm around her and patted her back, smiling. They pulled away and he pointed at Raihan as he hopped onto his Fearow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You make sure nothing happens to her.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lexi’s Pidgeot and Spenser’s Fearow flew off and they were gone. Raihan and Zodi started walking to find a Flying Taxi, their hands brushing against each other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looks like you got a roommate for a while.” Zodi tried to make conversation, smiling lightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, guess I do. Never had a roommate before.” Raihan nudged her with his arm, getting a chuckle out of her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going to walk in on you and anyone am I?” She was joking but being serious at the same time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, my hoe days are over.” He answered truthfully. “Remember, I have my heart set on someone.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah, that’s right. How’s that going…?” She frowned, remembering their conversation from weeks ago. She was trying to forget about the mystery girl Raihan refused to name. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, well… she kind of just went through a big break up…” He rubbed the back of his head, avoiding her eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… I’m sorry to hear that….You… going to make a move on her?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No… No I’m not actually…” He found the courage to look down into her eyes. “I think I’m just going to try my best to be there for her right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi got this strange feeling tingly feeling course through her body as he said that looking directly into her eyes. It almost felt like he was directing that at her instead of the so-called mystery girl. She smiled lightly, hugging his arm as they walked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first week of living together was an interesting transition period, but in a good way. It was almost like day and night. The contrast in music taste was quite drastic: one blared rap, R&amp;B, and pop music when they showered, the other blaring metal, alternative, and rock. That was something they both expected after years of friendship. Raihan would leave early in the morning for his runs while Zodi slept. Zodi would stay up late, going over her dad’s research, which led to her passing out on the couch and Raihan carrying her to bed. She had good nights and she had her bad nights. On her bad nights, Raihan would wake up, hearing her crying, and he would end up lying in her bed with her, holding her close until she fell asleep and he’d fall asleep right there with her. Raihan’s Bagon was excited to see Zodi and loved all the extra attention it was getting. They both seemed happier, despite the circumstances they were under, and they weren’t dealing with things alone anymore. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan came home after working with his gym trainers at the stadium. He had a bag with their take-out order in his hand as he kicked his shoes off at the door. Zodi wasn’t anywhere in sight. He heard music coming from her room. The door was shut. He slowly walked over and knocked before, opening the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zo?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, no!” The sound of papers falling over made Raihan stop. She had papers lying everywhere, piled and organized in whatever order she had them in. She had a huge to-go cup of coffee beside her and she appeared to be jittery. She glanced up at him, smiling nervously. “Hi, Raaaai.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi…” he was dumbfounded as he slowly lifted the bag of food. “I have food?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Food? Ooh, food is awesome. Okay, um. Give me like a minute to um- yeah…” she looked around, seeing she was trapped amongst her madness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How much coffee have you had…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uuuuum.” She picked up her to-go cup. “I think three of these???” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you get it with espresso…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uuuum yeah, like four shots of espresso maybe? In each??? I’m like liviiiiing right now. It’s great. You should really try it. I feel great.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan blinked a few times, calculating the amount of espresso she had. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re telling me… you’ve had 12 shots of espresso… in the span of…? How long was I gone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eight hours!” She took a big sip of her drink through her straw, making complete eye contact with him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan blinked a few times again and just slowly stepped over her papers and sat on the bed that, surprisingly,didn’t have anything on it. He crossed his legs and took her food out of the bag and handed it to her, slowly taking the coffee cup out of her hand and put it on the nightstand, out of her reach. He took his food out and was looking down at her papers, trying to decipher everything while she started to munch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing other than trying to overdose on espresso?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi swallowed before speaking, pointing at papers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I’m organizing dad’s notes, see? And I’ve started to pick up on some things. Pearce is NOT working alone. Someone is sending him funds and calling him. Like in this paper: look, look, look!” She handed him one of a list of phone numbers. There were certain ones circled. “He has called that number multiple times during the years, and always gets help. When he was released, three years ago, he called that number. Sooooo... that’s all I got for that one.” She snatched the paper back and put it back on the pile. “ALSO, he seems to pull some sort of scheme throughout the different regions, but he mostly pulls shit in Sinnoh since that’s where shit hit the fan hard and he killed a lot of people because someone was in their fucking feelings. That made no sense, but yeah! If he iiiiis in Galar, and if he doooooes want my dad and I dead, and if he iiiiiiis working for somebody, then that means he’s up to something that he doesn’t want us to stop! What is his plan??? I have no fucking clue...He’s sneaky, sneaky, sneaky…But I’m going to figure it out! And when I do… well, I don’t know. I’d have to find him first, and that’s going to be kind of hard, but it’s okay because yeeeah...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stared at the wall, taking a bite of her burger. Raihan had stopped mid bite and hadn’t moved since her final spiel. He slowly put his food down before facepalming himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zo, I think you need to take a breather from this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Why? Is something wrong? I can’t stop. I have to keep researching. I have to find him for my dad.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No no! Nothing’s wrong, entirely, I’m just a little worried when you have… twelve shots of espresso in eight hours, and not getting out of the house…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah… that’s a lot isn’t it…? And I did get out of the house! I went out and got myself coffee!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean… yeah, a bit…” he sighed, stroking her hair gently. “ Yeah, but I think you need to do something fun for yourself. Your dad wouldn’t want you to be stressed out like this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess you’re right…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! It’s not a bad thing what you’re doing. You just have to make sure you’re doing something nice for yourself.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-okay, I can do that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan smiled down at her and got an idea. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You still like history?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She tilted her head back to look up at him, smiling cutely. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I do.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good, then I’m taking you on a date tomorrow.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A date…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan flinched at his word usage, rubbing the back of his neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh yeah… a date…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi sat there in silence for a moment. Raihan hoped she couldn’t hear how loud and fast his heart was racing. Her smile brightened more as she reached up and booped him in the stomach. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, yeah, I’ll go on a date with you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A sigh of relief came from Raihan. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You didn’t make it weird, thank Arceus…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then it’s a date, princess.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Y'all, I hope y'all are ready because there's smut in the next chapter, and I'm actually really proud of it. I hope you guys liked this chapter. It's a little eh at the moment because I'm trying to get things ready for all the shit that hasn't happened yet. Also, if y'all haven't played an of the Pokemon Ranger games... I was OBSESSED as a kid, and I wish they would have made an even cooler game of it.</p><p>Also, the espresso scene was inspired from Detective Pikachu because that movie just makes me really happy, and that's my favorite scene in the movie.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. You Got Me So Crazy In Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter Twelve</p><p> </p><p>They both got up and got ready for the day before heading towards the stadium. Raihan had to do a few things with his Gym Trainers before they could go on whatever adventure Raihan had planned. He wouldn’t tell Zodi what they were going to do and kept telling her it was a surprise. Zodi sat on the sidelines of the field, pondering over what he could have planned as she watched Raihan overlook training. </p><p>He had his hands clasped behind his back with a serious and focused expression. He slowly paced the outside of the battle, correcting or making suggestions to his trainers. It was a different side of Raihan that many didn’t really see outside of his energetic, thrill-seeking personality, but then again, Raihan didn’t let on a lot to people about certain parts of his life. When people said Raihan was the most skilled Gym Leader, it was because of how close and how much he worked with his team. It mesmerized Zodi just how passionate he was training and how much he wanted his trainers to do well.</p><p>Her eyes roamed and landed on his ass, tilting her head a bit. </p><p>
  <em> Wow… did Rai always have a cute ass…?  </em>
</p><p>She grinned lightly as she went back to watching the battle. She didn’t know why, but the one week she spent at Raihan’s so far was the best she felt in a while, minus the occasional breakdown at one in the morning. She liked how much happier Raihan appeared and she liked how supportive and kind he was through everything. He made her feel safe. It made her feel warm and fuzzy inside when he would hold her at night when she was crying or when he played with her hair while they sat on the couch. Even though he was busy, he always managed to make time out for her when he got home. </p><p>Her phone buzzed. She pulled it out and saw Leon had texted her. He had been silent for most of the week, messaging her occasionally to see how her dad was doing. She would keep the messages short. She wasn’t ready to talk to him more than a few responses. She hadn’t even told him she was staying at Raihan’s and had to ask Raihan, which she hated to ask in the first place, to not post anything. Raihan was understanding and hadn’t posted a thing involving them all week. She opened the message and read it: </p><p>
  <b> <em>Leon: I’ll be in Hammerlocke today with Chairman Rose. Can we please meet up and talk?</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>Ghost Girl: Can’t. Have plans. </em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>Leon: Zodi, I’m sorry. I just want to talk…</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <b> <em>Ghost Girl: I’m not ready to talk, and I have plans.</em> </b>
</p><p>Zodi lifted her head from her phone when a set of long legs stopped in front of her. She lifted her head and smiled when she saw Raihan standing there with his hands on his hips. He flashed her a toothy smile. </p><p>“I’m all done. You ready for our date?” He extended his hands out to her. </p><p>Zodi nodded and shoved her phone into her pocket before she took his hands. He pulled her up easily, and dropped one of her hands only to keep a hold of one. She blushed from the feeling of his large hand in hers. He laced his long fingers with hers and pulled her along through the exit of the field. Instead of heading straight, they turned left and headed through another set of doors that led to the tourist part of the castle. Raihan waved at the older receptionist as they walked by. The receptionist smiled and waved back. </p><p>“Hey, Cynthia. Is it alright if I take Zodi around the ‘restricted’ tourist areas?” </p><p>“I don’t know why you bother asking me that every time. You know this castle more than anyone else I know.” </p><p>Raihan blushed, rubbing the back of his head. </p><p>“I don’t know this castle more than anyone…” he muttered shyly, causing Zodi to smile and giggle at how flustered he was. “Plus, you know I like to ask out of respect.” </p><p>“Yeah, yeah, go on. Hey, tell your dad I say hello next time you hear from him.” </p><p>“You got it, Cynthia. See ya later.” </p><p>Zodi waved at Cynthia before Raihan pulled her along past the roped off area down a massive corridor. Raihan began pointing at things and going into in depth about the history behind it. Zodi listened in awe as he got passionate about certain time periods in history or over a fun fact that she never knew. He led her to another part of the castle, and Zodi gasped when she saw something that caught her eye. She quickly walked over to the tapestry, pulling Raihan along, causing a bright smile to form on his face from her excitement. She stopped in front of it and had the biggest smile on her face. It was a beautiful tapestry of a night time scene with Ghost Pokemon lurking in the woods. She had only seen this tapestry in pictures and was completely blown away by its beauty in person. Raihan watched her as she admired it and couldn’t stop smiling at how happy she was. He couldn’t help falling harder for her. He never wanted that gorgeous smile of hers to leave her face. </p><p>“You like this one?” he asked genuinely, brushing his thumb over the back of her hand. She hadn’t let go since. </p><p>“Oh my Arceus, I love this tapestry… I’ve only seen it in photographs… It’s even more beautiful in person…” </p><p>“Why do you love it?”</p><p>“Because… it just shows the beauty of Ghost Pokemon and just how beautiful and powerful the night is. It’s so calm and just makes you want to… walk into the art and sit under the moonlight for a while… you can hear the noises in the night, the breeze blowing through the leaves, the positive energy the full moon gives off… it’s just… beautiful.”</p><p>Raihan’s heart was literally melting at her response. Her face flushed as she noticed his reaction, burying her face into his chest to hide her face. </p><p>“Hey, now, where did that gorgeous face go?” he poked her in the side, causing a giggle to escape her. She rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him through her eyelashes, smiling. </p><p>“You were staring at me, and I got all shy about my response…” she shyly told him. </p><p>“You shouldn’t though. That’s how I feel about the tapestry next to it.” He pointed, making her turn and look up. </p><p>It was a tapestry similar to the Ghost one, but this one was an image of the day time with a mix of Dragon Pokemon flying around with various landscapes. It took Zodi’s breath away almost as much as the Ghost one. She glanced up at him, beaming. </p><p>“It’s stunning.” </p><p>“Yeah? I love all the tapestries revolving around the pokemon types, but these two. Absolutely stunning. In a way, they remind me of you and me.” </p><p>“How so?” </p><p>“Well, you’re much like the moon and the night: beautiful and powerful. I’m like the sun and the day: energetic and hopeful.”</p><p>Zodi smiled at the comparison until realization started to hit her. She thought she had heard Raihan say that before, but it wasn’t about her… it was about the girl he refused to name, the one he wanted to be with but couldn’t. Was it possible… she was the girl he was referring to? She didn’t get a chance to ask about it when Raihan had started pulling her along to the next area. </p><p>“Okay, but do you want to know about the history behind King Lysander and his three mistresses?” he inquired. </p><p>“King Lysander didn’t have three mistresses.” she scoffed, smiling at his excitement. </p><p>“That’s what history books <em> want </em>you to believe! It was a huge scandal that the Royal Court successfully covered up until we found proof in the castle archive.” </p><p>“I can’t wait to hear all about it.” she lovingly hugged his arm as he led her down another hallway. </p><p>“Did you know he had his mistresses sleep in chambers beside each other and they never expected the other of sleeping with the king?” </p><p>Zodi continued listening to him go on about history, not being able to shake the feeling that she may have been in love with her best friend all this time. </p><p> </p><p>They had eventually come back down to the lobby after Raihan took her through more of the castle. They had been in the castle for what seemed like hours. They waved at Cynthia as they walked back into the stadium lobby. It was pretty empty that day. It was around noon when they came down. Zodi was beyond happy from her personal tour with Raihan and twirled under his arm cutely, getting a laugh and a huge smile out of him. She stopped right in front of him, blushing. </p><p>“That was absolutely brilliant, Rai!” she hyped him up, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. </p><p>“T-Thanks.” He felt his cheeks growing hot as he rubbed the back of his head. “You don’t think the date is over yet, do you?” </p><p>Her jaw dropped, and he couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction. </p><p>“That’s not all…?” she sounded bewildered. “Why are you doing all of this for me?” </p><p>Raihan just stared down at her as she pulled a strand of her hair behind her ear. He couldn’t believe she didn’t know why he was doing all of this for her. </p><p>“Because you deserve this and… I wanted to make you happy…” </p><p>He ghosted his fingers over the side of her face. She leaned into his touch, resting her hand on top of his. They locked eyes. Raihan wanted to lean down and kiss her right then, but fate seemed to have it’s own plan. </p><p>Chairman Rose stepped out of the lift to the power plant with Leon and Rose’s secretary following suit behind him. Chairman Rose was going on about the power plant and wishing stars helping to make Galar a better place. Leon was trying to focus on what was being said, but he had too much on his mind. He just wanted to talk things out with Zodi. He didn’t want to leave things the way they ended the week before. He turned his head and froze when he saw Raihan and Zodi standing in the lobby, Raihan starting to lean down towards her. His eyes furrowed as he stormed over to the two, the Chairman calling out to him wondering what was wrong. </p><p>Raihan felt two firm hands push him away from Zodi, looking to see Leon glaring up at him, coming at him. </p><p>“What the hell is your problem man?” Raihan growled, brushing himself off. </p><p>“My problem? My problem is you all over Zodi. What, so Zodi breaks up with me you think you can swoop in on her?” He pushed Raihan again. </p><p>“Leon, stop it!” Zodi ordered angrily, starting to become worried. “What are you talking about? Raihan was just trying to cheer me up.” </p><p>Leon ignored her order and continued at Raihan. Viktor went to break it up, but Raihan raised his hand to stop him, shaking his head. </p><p>“Yeah, I’m sure that’s what he’s trying to do.” </p><p>“Dude, I don’t know why you’re even mad. She’s not your girlfriend anymore. She’s been staying with me while her dad’s been in the hospital. She needed to get out.” </p><p>“She’s what? She’s staying with who?”</p><p>Raihan flinched as he realized he blew Zodi’s cover. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool.</p><p>“You heard what I said, Leon. Now, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” </p><p>“You move fast, don’t you, Raihan?” </p><p>“You know what, Leon? You really can’t stand the fact that I fucking care about Zodi, and you really have no fucking idea how it feels to be in your shadow all the fucking time. You have your mom, you have Hop, you have the Championship Title, and you had Zodi all to yourself at one point. You know what I fucking didn’t have? I don’t have my mom anymore, she’s gone. My dad is off avoiding home so he’s not reminded about his wife. I have painfully lost to you multiple times, and I had to watch Zodi be with <em> you </em>for all these years, being thrown into the shadows, thinking that she will never be as great as you, and I’m fucking sick and tired of it. So you can fucking go to hell and mind your own fucking business about what Zodi and I do. You don’t make her fucking happy anymore! She doesn’t want to be with you.” </p><p>Leon went to walk away before turning around, decking Raihan, as hard as he could, right in the jaw. Raihan stumbled back, grabbing his chin. He turned around, throwing his arm back to return the punch when Duruladon and Charizard came out of their pokeballs suddenly, standing in front of their trainers. They snarled at their trainers to get them to stop. Zodi quickly ran over to Raihan, grabbing his arm, glaring at Leon. </p><p>“What the hell is your problem?! Come on, Raihan.” </p><p>Duruladon returned to its Ultra Ball as they left the stadium quickly, leaving Leon fuming. He came to the realization as to what he’d done and looked horrified as he unclenched his fists. </p><p> </p><p>Raihan threw his door open as he kicked his shoes off, his hands clenching and unclenching. Zodi followed in behind, kicking her shoes off before she slammed the door shut with her hands on her hips. She was fuming. </p><p>“What the hell was that?” she snapped, glaring up at him. </p><p>“It was nothing.” he grumbled, rubbing his chin. </p><p>“Let me see your face and try telling me that was nothing one more time.” </p><p>“I’m fine, Zo-” </p><p>“No, you’re not fucking fine! You two almost broke into a fight, and no one seems to want to tell me what’s going on. So start talking.” </p><p>“I don’t know why he’s pissed!” he lied, starting to get frustrated. </p><p>“He’s pissed because he doesn’t like you being around me, and there has to be a reason for that, so you’re full of shit.” </p><p>“It’s complicated…” </p><p>“It can’t be too complicated so just tell me why Leon punched you, Raihan! I’m tired of people keeping things from me! Just tell me what’s going on!” </p><p>“I think I love you!” he snapped, staring down at her, completely vulnerable, catching Zodi off guard. Her face softened, his heart pounding in his chest. “Like, <em> love you </em> love you...He knows...how I feel about you… how I’ve always felt about you, and I just- I didn’t want to mess things up for you both, so I never said anything. I didn’t want to hurt you or Leon and I didn’t want to get hurt myself...because...why would you ever want someone like me to begin with? I’m not Leon. I’m not this great person they put on a pedestal. I’m just this lonely. broken ass loser who has been in love with their best friend since we were eight years old. Like I found this girl who made me feel like everything was okay finally.” He waited for her to say something and began to worry when she didn’t. She just stared up at him. “I just want to make you happy, Zodi… I want to make you smile and make you feel safe, and I understand if you don’t-”</p><p>“Shut up…” Her voice was soft. </p><p>“W-what?” he couldn’t quite hear her, becoming nervous. </p><p>“I said shut up…” </p><p>She grabbed him by his hoodie and pulled him down, crushing her lips against his. Raihan didn’t hesitate kissing her back, his hands running through her hair, pulling it. This caused a noise to escape from Zodi, causing him to smirk against her lips. The kiss became more heated as he pushed her back roughly against the wall, pushing her jacket off her shoulders and tossing it to the floor. Zodi ran her hands down his chest, pushing up his hoodie. He took the hint and broke away, pulling off his hoodie and shirt, his headband getting caught in the fabric. She bit her lip as she looked him over. Raihan’s lips found her jaw and started making their way down to her neck, sinking his sharp canines into her skin. A shiver ran down her spine as she tilted her head back, letting out a heavy breath. His hands slid up her sides as he sucked on her skin, humming softly. </p><p>“You want me to stop…?” his voice was husky as he leaned into her ear. </p><p>She swallowed hard and shook her head, turning her head to look into his cerulean blue eyes. </p><p>“N-no…” She was breathless, unable to take her eyes off his. “I want you…”</p><p>That was the reassurance he needed. He leaned in and kissed her again, bending down and resting his hands behind her thighs, picking her up and wrapped her legs around his waist. The feeling of her body pressed against him drove him crazy, an almost animalistic growl came from him. She threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling it hard and smirked when she got a groan out of him. He pulled away and carried her back to his room, laying her down on the bed hovering over her. She brought her top over her head, feeling a growing need for him in the pit of her stomach. She sat up and unclasped her bra, pulling that off as well, only to be pushed back down on the bed by Raihan.</p><p> His lips were on her skin again, trailing down to her chest. He glanced up at her with a devilish glint in his eyes before taking one of her nipples into his mouth, sucking and swirling his tongue around it. His other hand cupped her other breast, brushing his thumb over her nipple. She arched her back, letting out a heavy breath, her breathing became labored. Raihan switched and did the same as the first one before moving his lips down her stomach. She watched him as he undid her pants, pulling both her pants and panties off. She rolled her eyes playfully at his eagerness, snickering.</p><p>“Someone’s a little impatient…” she teased only to gasp and moan softly as he began rubbing her clit, his face inches from hers.</p><p> He flashed her a wicked grin, trailing his tongue over his bottom lip. </p><p>“Yeah, well someone’s already wet for me.” He nipped her lip, getting a whimper out of her. </p><p>“Bastard…” she mumbled. </p><p>He chuckled darkly, enjoying watching her squirm under him. She whined when he removed his hand to pull his shorts off, freeing his erection. He teased her folds with the head of his cock, glancing down at her face when she whimpered. Her lying there, desperate for him, drove him wild. His expression softened as he looked her body over before meeting her eyes again. She tilted her head curiously. </p><p>“What…?” </p><p>“You’re just...really beautiful…” </p><p>She smiled shyly at his comment, her cheeks burning. </p><p>“Thank you…” </p><p>“You sure you want to do this…?” </p><p>Zodi nodded, keeping her eyes locked on his. He nodded slowly, lining himself up and entered her slowly, allowing her to adjust. She moaned, arching her back. His pace started off slow before picking up, curses and groans escaping his lips. His thrusts became harder and deeper, her moans echoing throughout the room. He crushed his lips against hers, trailing his tongue over her bottom lip before slipping into her mouth, her arms wrapping around his neck, clawing at his back. She rolled her hips up against his causing him to break away, groaning, resting his forehead against hers. </p><p>“Fuck, baby girl… you keep that up, you’re gonna make me cum…” </p><p>Zodi smirked darkly and had him pinned to the bed under her suddenly. Raihan’s eyes widening, not expecting her to have that kind of strength. She leaned down, barely an inch from his face, her hair falling over her shoulders.</p><p>“That’s kind of the point, dragon boy…” </p><p><em> This woman is going to be the death of me… </em>Raihan thought to himself.</p><p>She sat back up, resting her hands on his chest as she rolled her hips down on him. Raihan threw his head back, groaning, feeling himself close to release. Her hips started stuttering against his, feeling herself getting close. Her hand wrapped around his throat gently, causing him to moan and look up at her as she brought her face down to his again. </p><p>“You gonna cum for me, dragon boy…?” her voice almost sounded desperate, her hand tightening just slightly around his neck. </p><p>“Shit… yes, baby girl…” </p><p>She rolled her hips a few more times before she finished, clenching around him and moaning his name, burying her face into his neck as she rode it out. He groaned loudly as he came inside her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, stroking her hair. </p><p>“Sh sh sh…” he cooed, kissing the side of her head as she came to a stop. </p><p>Both were breathing heavily as she clung onto him. Her soft whimpers died down as she lifted her head to look down at him, then kissed him softly. He cupped her face softly, brushing her hair out of her face. She pulled away, smiling softly, locking eyes with his.</p><p>“I think I <em>love</em> <em>you </em>love you too, Raihan…”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Y'all, this is the first time I ever wrote a smut scene without chickening out, and my friend, who is really picky about her smut, approved of it. I'm screaming because I can't believe I'm posting this. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter because I had fun writing this one! Zodi is a bit kinky. &gt;:) Ehehehe</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Luxury of a Distraction and Vengeful Tendencies Gone Wrong (by Fallout Boy)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Thirteen</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zodi and Raihan sat at the kitchen counter in complete silence after Raihan had gotten them all cleaned up. Zodi was just in her panties and one of Raihan’s shirts and Raihan had put on shorts and a t-shirt. They were both avoiding looking at the other. Zodi stirred her tea as a distraction and he stared at the counter. No one really knew how to address the situation after the realization that it did happen kicked in. Raihan cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his head. The noise made Zodi jump, her eyes darting over to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So…” he started, tapping his fingers on the counter top. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… she added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should probably talk about this…” his face was turning red. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, we should.” she quickly answered, feeling her face burning up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hadn’t ever seen Raihan this flustered or embarrassed before, and it was unlike him to act this way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, one: wow, you’re kind of really kinky.” he blurted out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rested her arms on the counter and buried her face into her arms, her entire face beet red. She felt like she was dying inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my Arceus...I’m soooooo sorry… I got really carried away…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, I’m not complaining,” he reassured her. “I just wasn’t expecting that from you. That’s all.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeaaaah… uh, well, I wasn’t like that at first, and then like… Leon let me dom the one time, and uh… yeah…turns out I like wrecking men...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright… noted. Number 2: What does this mean for us?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, uh…” She wasn’t sure how to respond to that right away. She sat there, thinking as he spoke again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I know you’re fresh out of a relationship, and I feel awful and like I messed everything up… but I also don’t want-” He stopped for a moment, struggling to find the words to say next. “I don’t want to be used as a rebound… I know you wouldn’t do that, I just… yeah…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my gosh, Rai, no… you didn’t mess anything up… I started it, you asked twice if it was okay, and I said it was okay both times… please don’t put that on you, okay…?” She placed her hand on top of his; he glanced down at her hand before looking into her eyes. “I don’t know who used you as a rebound, but I would never, in a hundred years, do that to you...my feelings for you are genuine…I care so much for you, Raihan...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded, looking down again. She reached over with her other hand and placed it on his cheek gently, making him look at her again. She smiled lightly, brushing his loose hair out of his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I did just get out of a relationship, you’re right… and I don’t think it would be good for us to hop right into a relationship… if that makes sense…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’s understandable.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You also need to apologize to Leon… You both are in the wrong, but you did say some not so nice things to him…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan sighed heavily, burying his face into his hands. He felt awful for what he said to Leon. It didn’t make anything better. He just really wished his friend would have talked to him about everything instead of bottling it up and assuming things. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know… I know…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t need to be right away because I think you both need to cool down… I just don’t want you guys hating each other because of me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want that either…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And we can’t tell anyone that we…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah, no… nooo no no. If Leon found out, I think he’d actually probably kill me or never speak to me again.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we don’t want that.” She shook her head, trying not to smile. “I’d rather have you alive.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? Why, thank you. I’d rather live too. He has a mean punch…damn…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rubbed his chin, flinching slightly. Zodi hopped off her stool and stepped up to him, slowly removing his hand from his chin. She leaned up and pressed her lips to the spot he was hit and kissed it softly. She pulled away, smiling up at him shyly. He couldn’t get over how she could be so compassionate towards him after all that happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That better…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A little… my face still hurts…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? Where else does it hurt?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pointed at his cheek, keeping his eyes fixed on hers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She leaned up and kissed his cheek softly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anywhere else?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He moved his finger to his forehead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Definitely here…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A fit of giggles came from her as she cupped his face in her hands and pressed her lips to his forehead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That all…?” Her voice was barely above a whisper at this point. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan hesitated for a moment before he rested his finger on his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi kept her eyes locked on his for a moment before slowly leaning in, kissing him tenderly, brushing her thumb over his cheek gently. He returned the kiss with the same amount of tenderness, his arms wrapping around her waist to tug her closer to him. She threaded her fingers through his hair, sighing softly, his lips intoxicating. The Butterfrees in her stomach were back. They stayed like that for a while before Zodi broke away for air, keeping her face close to his. He sure knew how to take a girl’s breath away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um… that doesn’t have to stop… right…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm… no, that doesn’t have to stop at all…” He ran his hands up her sides slowly, the fabric hiking up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We don’t have to...tell anyone about this…right?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It can be our little secret, ghostie…” He grinned softly, taking her bottom lip between his teeth, soft whimpers escaping her lips. “Just remember this, princess… you’re not the only one doing the wrecking here…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>MOTOSTOKE: Two Days Later</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was quiet. Alexander had changed into civilian clothes so Pearce wouldn’t be alarmed if he saw him. He had found a Liepard to assist him to look natural like the other people who had their pokemon out walking with them. Pidgeot was flying high in the sky to stay out of sight and to scope the city. Alexander strolled around, trying to keep an eye out for any suspicious characters. He almost gave up when he saw Pearce walk out of the Budew Inn, shoving his hands into his pockets. Alexander’s blood boiled at the sight of him. He had the same scarred face and smug look on his face. It took Alexander every ounce of his fiber not to finish him off right there. Pearce looked over in his direction. Alexander thought quickly and crouched down, stroking the Liepard’s fur, earning a purr out of the pokemon. Pearce turned away and kept walking down the street. Alexander watched him from the corner of his eye as he stood up, pulling his phone out, calling Spenser. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spenser was sitting by Harris’s bedside, chatting and keeping him company when his phone went off. He pulled it out and answered it, seeing it was Alexander calling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alexander, you got something?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pearce? Where?” He stood up quickly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Motostoke. I’m going to follow him, sir.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You will do no such thing. Pearce is too dangerous to face alone, and you don’t know if his Weavile are on him or not.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harris watched as he saw his friend’s entire demeanor shift. His tone had authority but it wasn’t masking the worry in his voice well. Spenser had always tried to hide any other emotions he was feeling to give people a sense that he had no weaknesses. That was an act. Spenser cared too much about people, he cared too much about Pokemon, and if you were someone Spenser cared for, he worried about you a lot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir, I can follow him and see what he’s up to. I can do this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I gave you a direct order, Alex. Do not, I repeat, do not go. After. Pearce.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, sir. I have to do this.” Alexander ended the call, tailing Pearce at a distance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alexander. Alexander! Dammit!” He brought his hands up to his head, clenching his free hand into a fist. “The kid’s going to get himself killed!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Spense… you need to breathe…” Harris still couldn’t talk very loudly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should have known better than to put him on this mission! He’s making it personal after I told him not to.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spenser grabbed onto the side railing that was put up, clenching his eyes shut. He felt a hand rest on top of one of his. He looked up and saw soft brown eyes staring up at him. It was hard not to get lost in those eyes. Spenser took a deep breath and calmed down, keeping his eyes on Harris’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about me. Go.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spenser nodded and squeezed Harris’s hand once before running out the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lexi, you stay here with Harris! I need to help Alex!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir.” she responded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alexander kept his distance and saw Pearce walk into an alleyway. He disappeared. Alex slowly approached the alley: it was dark considering what time of day it was. He took a deep breath and entered the alley cautiously. The Liepard followed suit, its fur sticking up. Something was ahead. They walked past a pitch black alley beside them. Alexander was getting nervous. It was quiet and dark. The alley ended in a dead end. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I swore I saw him walk in here…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Heavy footsteps echoed throughout the alley, then there was someone humming an old song that was all too familiar. He froze. He slowly turned around and saw Pearce leisurely stepping out of the side alley, coming to a stop in the middle of the alley facing Alexander. Pearce had a smug smirk as he raised an eyebrow curiously at the boy, his hands staying behind his back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guessin’ you’re followin’ me for a reason, eh?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Liepard, use-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boys.” Pearce raised his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In a flash, Draxen and Mac had the Liepard pinned against the wall, whimpering. Alexander gritted his teeth, beginning to sweat. Pearce tsked him, as he began to slowly walk towards Alex. He stood his ground, keeping his eyes locked on the murderer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have we met before? See, I don’t forget a face…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We haven’t met, no.” Alexander growled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pearce mumbled to himself, trying to recall where he had seen his face before. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s see, let’s see… Ah, yes…” A dark smirk curled on his lips. “Twenty years ago… I killed a Ranger who looked just like you… let me see...what was his name again…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The whites in Alexander’s knuckles was almost translucent from how tight his fists were clenched together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, I remember now… Ranger Zion was his name… the Applin doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it, mate…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You killed my father…” he spat through clenched teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yes I did...mmm… still remember it like it was yesterday… watching the expression on his face as I kicked him off that tower… the whole place on fire...it was pure beautiful chaos…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alexander lunged at Pearce only for Draxen to draw its claws out in front of him. Alex took a step back, Pearce tsking him again. The Liepard escaped Mac’s grip and ran out of the alley, scared out of its mind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stupid, stupid boy…Did you really think you could get me on your own…? A bit in over your head there, boy…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you’re going to kill me, go ahead. The others will find you. They know where I’m at.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do they now…? Hmm…” he thought long and hard as he took his time circling the young ranger. “No… I don’t think I’ll kill you… I think I’d rather you live the rest of your life knowing you failed at stopping the man that murdered your father...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stopped behind Alexander and struck him in the back of the head with the pipe he had behind his back. Alexander collapsed, unconscious to the ground. Pearce crouched down and rummaged through the boy’s pockets until he found what he was looking for: the styler. He examined it for a moment before smirking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is just what I needed…” he tossed the pipe aside and stood up, placing it in his pocket. “Draxen, Mac, return.”He took one last look at the boy before he kicked him hard in the stomach. They each returned to their assigned pokeballs as he stepped over the boy’s body. He turned right into the pitch dark alley, disappearing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Spenser was on the back of his Fearow. They reached Motostoke and saw in the distance Pidgeot circling frantically over a certain area. He ordered his Fearow to head in that direction, landing in front of the entryway to the alley. There were league staff members standing near it as an older man was holding Alexander up. He was in and out of consciousness, as the older uniformed man, set him down. Spenser recognized him as Gym Leader Kabu.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spenser raced over to Alexander and knelt down beside the boy, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My staff saw the Pidgeot overhead and figured something was wrong since we don’t have Pidgeot in this region. We’ve already called for a medical team.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Leader Kabu…” he turned his head to Alexander. “Alex, tell me what happened. I told you not to go after him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“-’m sorry, sir… I thought...I could… my styler…” he weakly patted his pockets down. “He-he took my styler…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure he took it?” Spenser was beginning to panic. Pearce having hold of that technology spelt trouble for everyone and made him even more dangerous. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears began to stream down Alexander’s face as he stared angrily at the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alex, listen to me, I need you to tell me where you saw Pearce.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alex clenched his hands into fists, trembling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t remember… I can’t…” He choked on a sob. “I just wanted...to avenge my dad… and I failed everyone…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, sh…” Spenser wrapped his arms around Alex’s shoulders and let him cry. “We’re going to get him, bud… We’re going to get him… if it’s the last thing we do…”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I was all up in my feelings with this chapter. The Alexander thing literally came to me as I started writing his scene, and I just kind of liked how it felt. </p><p>Also, hello. Here we go again with my bull shit again with growing attached to minor characters because I love making myself cry. xD </p><p>Also, yay! We got more Pearce. Pearce is honestly my favorite bad guy I've ever written, and I'm so happy with him. </p><p>Also, I say also a lot, and we up in here with some friends with benefits shit because that's just how it be some times.  </p><p>Hope y'all liked this chapter. The huge plot stuff will be happening sooooooon. Also, (there I go again), I hope you guys appreciate my chapter titles because they are mostly songs or really dumb puns and jokes I come up with because Quarantine just be like that sometimes. Aight, Imma sleep now. Until next chapter, my dudes.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Super Massive Red....Storms?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Fourteen</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tools laid on the desk, lit by the bright desk lamp. Pearce hummed ominously as he reconfigured wires in the Styler, melting them together. He carefully reached and grasped the small vial of his red serum. He carefully inserted it before attaching the cover. It clicked and instead of blue, it flashed red with the wishing star and Dynamax mechanics activating. He smirked darkly, examining it carefully. All the energy to distort pokemon into the size of Titans in his hands. All his years of researching how to manipulate pokemon combined with the Dynamax science made him feel like a god. He could have a whole region kneeling before him, watching it crumble in the palm of his hand. Cities being demolished by his Shadow Pokemon, crushing Galarians by beating down their precious leaders and Champion. He knew which city to destroy first, and it seemed fitting to start with the heart of Galar: Hammerlocke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pearce slowly stood up and packed what he needed into his bag, shrugging his jacket on. He threw the backpack over his shoulders and grabbed the Styler off the desk. He put the small device in his pocket, throwing his hood over his head. He pulled out his phone and dialed Giovanni’s number, pressing the phone up against his ear. Three tones later, and the call finally went through. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pearce, what now?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The device is ready, sir.” he smugly answered, heading out the door and towards the emergency exit staircase. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, good...I expect full coverage on whether or not it will work.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You doubting me again, Giovanni?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pearce chuckled darkly. He started walking down the stairs and got to the bottom landing. He peered around to make sure none of the hotel workers saw him as he went out the side door where deliveries were made. He started walking towards the main entrance to Motostoke to make his way towards the Wild Area. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like I said the last time we spoke… This is your last chance. I want results this time.” His tone had an threatening edge to it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh you’ll get results, don’t worry. I assure you, this will be on every news broadcasting platform before the day is through.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll believe it when I see it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Galar will be ours once my Shadow Pokemon are unleashed.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I may give you a word of advice: Galarians are like castle walls… hard to penetrate, and harder to fall… they will fight back with everything they have.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pearce scoffed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re starting to sound like their bumbling fool of a Champion…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d watch what you say, Pearce… I would not mess with the World’s Champion and his friends… As I recall, one of them defeated you single-handedly last year…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He growled, clenching his hands into fists, the knuckles turning completely white. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This time will be different, and I’ll show these fools that Pearce Beckett is not to be trifled with!” He ended the call, infuriated by the insolence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pearce was the most feared man in Sinnoh history. The list of people he had killed was endless, and he certainly wasn’t about to be beaten by a few meddling kids and the spirit of an entire nation. He reached the Wild Area and started to head towards Hammerlocke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zodi sat on the hospital bed next to her dad. Alex was sitting in one of the chairs, his head bandaged and looking quite down. Raihan, Lexi, and Spenser stood. Harris was recovering faster than expected but was still weak and unable to stand by himself yet. Zodi looked through some of the papers and notes she had taken, trying to find anything that would help, but she was coming up empty. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We know he’s in Motostoke, but with it being a city, it will be hard to find him, and it would be too dangerous to try and arrest him with civilians around...” Spenser had his arms crossed, trying to process his thoughts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alexander sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. Zodi looked over at him and frowned. She didn’t like that he was beating himself up over the whole thing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Alex…” She saw him glance up at him, everyone looking in his direction. “Don’t beat yourself up, mate...you figured out he was in Motostoke. That’s way more information than we had before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess…” he mumbled, hating the attention on him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to believe me.” she shrugged, going back to her notes. “I just think you’re being too hard on yourself.” She changed the topic and continued talking about the topic at hand. “From all the notes, it seems Pearce manages to cause some sort of trouble or chaos, but because he’s been lowkey and, for the most part it seems, working alone, we don’t know what he could be planning.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think he’s planning something?” Spenser couldn’t hide the grin forming on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I mean, I’m sure he wants me and dad dead, but that’s just a bonus.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go on.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pearce is obviously working for someone because he’s getting funding somehow for all his experiments and travel expenses. He’s also constantly in contact with whoever it is from these papers, and usually persistence like this is found in people seeking for approval or are desperate for greatness. Pearce wants to be one step ahead of everyone; like a power play. He likes toying with the authorities before he unleashes his schemes. Pearce will do whatever it takes to be on top again, and that’s his one flaw; how predictable, in a sense, he is with how he performs his actions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spenser stared at Zodi, impressed, while Harris had the proudest smile on his face. Spenser looked at Harris then back to Zodi, smiling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s… Pearce to the T. You got all that from a week and a half of researching…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Espresso, my friend, is a gift from the gods.” She grinned proudly, getting an eye roll from Lexi. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan groaned quietly and rubbed the bridge of his nose because they didn’t have to deal with the consequences of her espresso addiction. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s impressive.” Alexander perked up again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lexi scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest, looking away from everyone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘That’s impressive…’” she quietly mocked Alexander’s voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi gave her the dirtiest look, Raihan noticing and quickly spoke up before an altercation could happen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not to sound stupid or anything, but I honestly don’t know what this dude looks like.” Raihan interjected, looking around the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t?” Lexi’s tone was smug as she gave him a side eye. “Do you live under a rock?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, definitely didn’t need that shade, wow.” The sarcasm was spewing from his mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is your problem?” Zodi scowled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just don’t understand why two people who are not special operatives are helping on a case that should be left to the professionals. That’s my problem, Goth Girl.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, did you stop Pearce by yourself? Oh wait, you didn’t. That was me. ‘Goth Girl’ can be a bitch, too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lexi clenched her hands into fists and glared at Zodi. Spenser got in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s enough.” His voice was forceful, turning to Lexi. “If you have a problem, you take it up with me, is that understood? So cut the attitude, or you can be dismissed.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lexi huffed heavily, unclenching her fists. She nodded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir...I understand…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good, Raihan, please continue.” Spenser gave Zodi a look before turning his attention back to Raihan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay...anyway, I never bothered asking because when Zo gets in the zone, you don’t bother her.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oops… Sorry, ba- sorry, mate.” She quickly caught herself. “I think I have a photo in here, Rai.” Zodi broke the tension, flipping through until she pulled a photo off a paperclip, handing it to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan took it and his whole expression changed in a moment. Zodi looked up and saw he didn’t say anything. Everyone watched him carefully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Raihan, what’s wrong?” Harris asked cautiously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve seen him before…” Raihan managed to finally get out, still staring down at the photograph. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve seen him? You’ve seen </span>
  <em>
    <span>this </span>
  </em>
  <span>man? Where?” Spenser pointed at the photo, trying to snap Raihan out of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Motostoke. It was the week Zodi came home, and I was helping Kabu when I bumped into him… He had just walked out of the Budew Inn.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re positive it’s the same man? I need you to be one hundred percent on this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan locked eyes with Spenser and nodded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He had the same scars on his face. That’s hard to forget.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spenser grabbed his phone, making a call, heading out of the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is Ranger Spenser. I need-” his voice faded as he disappeared down the hall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi glanced up at the television that had been muted the whole time and quickly unmuted it when she saw the news report. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“World News Alert: The Sinnoh Region has reported that serial killer and infamous scientist, Pearce Beckett, has yet again escaped from prison. Officials, after almost two months, failed to report to the public that the prisoner had escaped. We have no details so far as to how he escaped, but the Sinnoh Police Force believes Beckett is no longer in the region. If you see this man,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>A prison snapshot of Pearce appeared on the corner of the screen. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Do not approach this man. He is classified dangerous. Do not approach Becket, but report to the authorities as soon as possible.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Spenser rushed back into the room, pointing at Lexi.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lexi, you’re coming with me. Alexander, you stay here, Bolt will help you if there’s any trouble.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But, sir-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No buts! You stay put.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi hopped out of the bed and grabbed her back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where do you think you’re going?” Spenser asked, surprised she was getting up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re coming, too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No you’re not.” Harris cut in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad, I am going. Pearce needs to be stopped, and I’m not letting him hurt anymore people.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harris’s eyes landed on Spenser’s then he sighed heavily, knowing his daughter was just as stubborn as him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be okay.” She hugged him and kissed his cheek. “I love you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harris stroked the back of her head, kissing her forehead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too, sweetheart…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pulled away and smiled, walking out with Raihan; Lexi and Spenser were ahead of them. She quickly pulled out her phone and called someone who might not even answer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who are you calling?” Raihan asked, trying not to hit his head on the emergency exit signs on the ceiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just have a bad feeling that Pearce isn’t going to be there when we get there and something’s going to happen… We’ll need an extra hand… though we’re probably the last people he wants to talk to at the moment…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She waited for him to answer. He didn’t expect him to. Why should he after she ignored all his phone calls the past two weeks? The other end connected finally as they got outside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leon! Don’t hang up, okay??? Just- hear me out. We really need your help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would you need my help?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you see the news?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, with the Pearce bloke?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s in Motostoke. He’s here. And I think everyone in Galar is in danger. I can understand if you don’t want to help me, but please, do it for everyone else.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence for a moment. She heard a sigh over the phone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m on my way.” he ended the call. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi quickly shoved her phone into her phone and released Drampa. She hopped on it’s back and looked down at Raihan, reaching out a hand to him, smiling lightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You coming…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan looked at her hand then grabbed it and got on the Drampa, it took off instantly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I still can’t get over that you have dragon pokemon…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could say dragons are my type.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They stepped up to the room the innkeeper had told them. He had said he hadn’t seen Pearce come down yet that day. They stayed behind as the two officers stood on either side of the door as the innkeeper shakily unlocked the door. He quickly got out of the way as the one officer threw open the door and they both rushed in. They cleared the room and found no one there but plans, tools, and papers everywhere on the desk and bed. Zodi stepped between everyone and walked up to the desk, looking through everything. The officers attempted to stop her, but Spenser told them to let her look. Raihan walked over to the television stand and glanced around the papers there before he caught his eye on a tiny, headless wooden figure. He picked it up and looked it over. He put it down again and watched Zodi. There were books on dynamaxing, papers on wishing stars, information on Styler tech, some sort of formula scribbled down on paper that was old and worn looking, and a check-list of his plan. She read through everything, her eyes widening as everything clicked together. She dropped the paper, turning her head towards Spenser. Her face was pale and she felt like she was going to be sick. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi, what’s wrong…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s going to use the Shadow Serum and Dynamax technology to control pokemon to destroy the cities…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before anyone could speak, the ground shook violently and roars echoed in the distance. Everyone tried to steady themselves. The ground stopped shaking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, no…” Zodi bolted out of the door, everyone running and shouting after her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone made it outside. There were swirling red storm clouds in the distance over Hammerlocke Hills, the wind howling and picking up, people struggling to keep their balance. Loud booms of thunder roared through the sky. Leon’s Charizard landed beside the group, Leon hopping off. He made his way towards Zodi. He caught her by the arms as she started losing her balance, holding her up. She lifted her head and was relieved to see him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leon, did you see what’s going on?” She shouted over the wind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Five pokemon Dynamaxed, but they aren’t like their normal Dynamax forms.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Five…?” Zodi stared off in the direction of the storms. “We’re going to need a miracle…” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello. Welcome to my hell show.<br/>If you're Team Leon Redemption Arc, raise your hands!!! </p><p>This chapter was a little weird because I was struggling to figure out how all the shit is going to go down, but like I think I figured it out. I'm so excited. I'm not posting at 3 am for once! Yay! I'm going to start on Chapter 15, and I'm so excited because it gives me the chills and excitement of a favorite Superhero Movie Scene of mine. So I'm so excited for that.</p><p>Also! If you'd like to listen to the playlists I made for Zodi and Raihan, I'll leave the links below!<br/>Zodi's:<br/>https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5z7e1uPFDxoaBxaLmiTqXT?si=iSFaqfCESyO8RvSncIYIug</p><p>Raihan's:<br/>https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5iRMbjaT0LUwO9ZYbWSwHa?si=NAv8GsvKQMqYTpBnWVXOpQ</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Leaders... Assemble</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Fifteen</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They all managed to land their pokemon on the hills to see the situation. A wild Arcanine, Mudsdale, Dragapult, Doublade, and Braviary were Dynamaxed throughout the hills. Leon was right, they weren’t their normal selves in this form. Their eyes were blood red and black veins appeared to be running down the sides of their faces. The Arcanine was the closest to them. It was setting aflame the trees and surroundings with it’s Max Flare attack, pokemon scurrying and running, trying to escape the onslaught of attacks. The scene horrified Zodi. She had to help those pokemon. She started running. Leon and Raihan tried to grab her, but they missed by a hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi!” They both shouted, running after her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lexi, we need to get those fires out.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded as they started running. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why is she always running impulsively into danger?” Leon shouted, more to himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, she grew up with the both of us.” Raihan answered, glancing over at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean-! ...that’s fair…” Leon admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both skidded to a stop when a giant firewall blocked them from getting to Zodi. They stumbled back, putting an arm over their faces as the flames licked the air. Raihan released Goodra and pointed at the fire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodra, use Rain Dance then Surf!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi threw a Pokeball and out came Kommo-o. It growled, glaring up at the Arcanine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Use Stealth Rock then Rock Slide!!!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jagged rocks surrounded the distorted pokemon, disappearing as fast as they appeared. The Arcanine was confused and flinched when it stepped on the rocks. It didn’t see the Rock Slide attack coming and stumbled back a bit. It snapped it’s head towards Zodi and roared, baring its teeth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s right! Come after me!!” She shouted, waving her arms at it to get it’s attention. “Hit him with Rock Slide again then come on, Kommo-o!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The attack landed and they started running, luring the massive and extremely pissed off Pokemon away from the fire. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Spenser and Lexi working with some of the wild pokemon to put out the flames. The ground shook and beside her, missing her barely, were metal spikes jutting out of the ground. She lost her balance and fell, quickly rolling over to see the Pokemon about to attack again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rock Slide!!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Liquidation!” Two new voices shouted at the same time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Arcanine was struck from two different jets of water and a rock slide all at the same time. Zodi turned her head and smiled brightly when she saw Nessa and Bea with their Drednaw and Graploct. Nessa held out her hand, and Zodi took it, standing up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two certainly know how to make an entrance.” Zodi turned her attention back to the pokemon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nessa smirked, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she intensely stared up at the pokemon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can thank us later.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mind telling us what’s going on, Zo?” Bea inquired, cracking her knuckles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s finish this guy off first, then we’ll talk.” Zodi clenched her hand in a fist. “It’s almost down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two other girls nodded and called out their movies. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Drednaw! Rock Tomb, followed by Liquidation!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Liquidation, Graploct!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rock Slide, Kommo-o!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Dynamax pokemon didn’t have time to react and all the attacks hit. Its eyes fluttered as its eyes went back to normal and the veins disappeared. It shrunk back down to its original size and collapsed, fainting. Zodi put both her hands up and Bea and Nessa high fived her. Kommo-o went back into its ball as Zodi hurried over to the pokemon, rummaging in her bag for a revive, healing the Pokemon. It woke up and glanced down at Zodi, nuzzling his head against her in appreciation. She stroked its fur before the Pokemon ran off. Raihan and Leon ran up to them as the other Gym Leaders arrived. Zodi was shocked by all ten Leaders coming together right then and there to help. She was even surprised to see Opal and Allister were there.  This was the miracle they needed in order to defeat all the Dynamax Pokemon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oi, mate, ya got yourself in a spot of trouble, huh?” Piers greeted, fist bumping Zodi.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You-you all came.” she stuttered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hell yeah we did!” Gordie exclaimed, his smirk disappearing when his mum smacked him on the back of the head. “Ow… Yeah, we did…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi, give us the short and sweet explanation please.” Melony cheerfully stated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. Pearce. Psychopath. Did this. He has a controlling serum that makes pokemon evil and has his own Dynamax tech. We need to stop him. That short and sweet?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yes, thank you, darling!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have four more Dynamax Pokemon to handle.” Leon added. “We need to split into teams: Milo, Bea, and Gordie, you take the Mudsdale.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They nodded and ran off towards the Mudsale. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Allister, Piers, and Opal, you can take care of the Dragapult.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They hopped onto Opal’s Drampa and took off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kabu and I will take care of the Doublade. Melony, Zodi, and Raihan, you have the Braviary.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll help the Rangers put out the flames!” Nessa ran towards the flames, releasing all her pokemon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the group ran towards their assigned Dynamax Pokemon. Zodi saw Milo, Bea, and Gordie handling the ground-type pokemon with Shiftry, Graploct, and Barbacle. The Dynamax pokemon fell to the continuous blows of the battling pokemons Leaf Blade and Liquidation moves. The Dragapult was beginning to falter from Allister, Piers, and Opal’s Pokemon. Dusknoir, Obstagoon, and Mawile’s mixture of Ghost, Ice, Dark, and Fairy moves brought the gigantic Pokemon down and back to it’s normal height. Leon and Kabu had just gotten to the Doublade, releasing Dragapult and Centiskorch. There was no doubt they could beat all the Dynamax Pokemon, but she still had that bad feeling that this was all too easy. This couldn’t be all Pearce had in store for them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They approached the Braviary, and it flew down to their level, it screeched loudly at them. Raihan released his Goodra, Melony her Lapras, and Zodi released Gengar. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lapras, Blizzard!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hydro Pump!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shadow Ball!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The attacks landed, enraging the Pokemon. It used a Max Strike move on Gengar, but the Normal-Type move went right through, leaving Gengar unscathed. Gengar taunted the Braviary, hopping from foot to foot, sticking its tongue out. The Braviary screeched again, flapping its wings violently, creating a gust of air. The trainers struggled to keep their balance but stood their ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thunder!” The three said simultaneously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The three pokemon shot their Thunder attack into the sky at the same time. A massive black storm cloud formed in the sky as the most impressive bolt of lightning came down and smited the Braviary. The blast was so powerful and bright that it blew everyone back and caused the others to look in that direction. The dust was dense. They coughed a bit from the dust, Raihan standing up first, helping Melony to her feet, then Zodi. The dust settled enough to show the Braviary had fainted. Zodi and Raihan were standing close to one another. Zodi tilted her head back to look up at him. He brushed her off and quickly backed away when he heard Melony clear her throat. She was brushing herself off and fixing her hair, glancing over at the others coming. They returned their Pokemon to their assigned balls as the others regrouped. Everyone seemed to be alright.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allister walked with Piers and froze when his eyes landed on Zodi. She was walking towards the Braviary to revive it, but dead Ghost Pokemon were floating around her, scared and worried expressions on their faces. That usually meant that that person was in some sort of danger now or in the near future to Allister. He stammered, trying to get the words out, pointing at the Pokemon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“M-M-Miss Zodi-” he stuttered, the others becoming concerned when the boy took off his mask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bea hurried over to him and crouched down to his level, Piers doing the same thing. Zodi had crouched down and was reviving the Braviary when he spoke. She glanced over and frowned, seeing how upset he appeared. He honestly looked as though he had seen a ghost. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s the matter, bud…?” She softly asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They… they are all around you… the Ghost Pokemon… they are everywhere…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The others looked at Zodi seeing nothing around her except the Braviary that was awake now. They looked back at the boy with furrowed brows. Zodi looked around her, becoming nervous. She was one of the few people that believed Allister could see the spirits of Ghost Pokemon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why, there’s nothing there, sweetheart…” Melony calmly told him, Allister shaking his head, becoming flustered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No! No! They are there! Miss Zodi is in danger! You have to believe me!” His eyes started tearing up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bea wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him close, cooing to him, telling him to calm down. Piers glanced over at Zodi; they both were worried about this. There was a great roar, causing all their heads to snap in that direction. A Dynamaxed Tyranitar was making its way towards Hammerlocke. Zodi stood up, standing farther back than the rest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sleep…” a deep voice whispered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi’s eyes widened as she turned around, hit with the Pokemon move, seeing who was behind her. Her eyes starting to flutter shut, everything twirling around her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rai-” she managed to choke out before falling asleep, her body starting to crumple to the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan quickly turned around, hearing her voice, seeing Pearce catch her limp body. He had a Shadow Gardevoir next to him. He smirked darkly, tilting his head as he did a curt wave. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Teleport…” Pearce ordered the Gardevoir.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“PEARCE!” Raihan angrily shouted as he charged at the man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he was too late. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time he reached them, they were gone. Everyone turned around at Raihan’s outburst. He stared at their place, his breathing slightly heavy with shock in his eyes. Allister gripped at his hair; the spirits being correct that she was in danger. Piers and Leon hurried over to Raihan. His hands were clenching into fists, baring his fangs. His jaw was clenched as a growl emanated from his throat. The shock in his eyes turned to fury. Pearce had unleashed the dragon within Raihan’s soul, and it was fiery and pissed. If that twisted, sick bastard hurt Zodi, he’d have to face Raihan’s wrath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mate, ya need to breathe…” Piers calmly reassured him, but even then he couldn’t hide his worry in his voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan’s Rotom Phone rang and flew out of his pocket and opened a video call from Viktor. Viktor appeared frantic. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sir! Pokemon are trying to get into the Castle! We have the main door barred down, but it’s not going to hold much longer!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have Camilla, Aria, and Sebastian evacuate all personnel through the underground emergency exit. Seal the lift to the Energy Plant. Have all your Pokemon out and on standby. I’m on my way.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, si-” There was a crash and Viktor released all his pokemon before the call went dead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Viktor? Viktor!” The Rotom Phone quickly flew into his pocket, frightened by his rage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All of this was a distraction.” Leon snarled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leon, Piers, Raihan!” Kabu called; Piers and Leon looking at the older Leader. “You take care of the castle and find Zodi, the seven of us can handle the Tyranitar! We’ll get Nessa and the Rangers attention.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure?” Leon called. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, go!” Kabu yelled back as the others got on Pokemon or ran towards the Tyranitar. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Raihan, we have to go.” Piers tried to grab his attention. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan glared up at the fortress walls, calling out his Flygon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This ends… right now…” Raihan snarled. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter is a lot cooler in my head. My literally spent last night creating a strategic chart for each Dynamax Pokemon and what Leaders and their Pokemon had an advantage over them. So... many... Bulbapedia tabs... I was very inspired by my favorite scene from Avengers Endgame when Falcon comes over the com and is like "On your left" and all the Avengers come through the portals and everyone is just crying in the theater because it's so fucking lit. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Never Give Up</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Sixteen</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everything was hazy when Zodi started coming to. She felt something hard under her and ran her hand over it. It was brick. She slowly sat up, rubbing her head. Her eyes focused, seeing the stormy sky above her, then she saw Pearce standing across from her, watching her. She glared and went to grab Lucario and Torterra’s Pokeballs. Her eyes widened. Her Pokeball Belt was missing. Tsking brought her attention back to Pearce. He was waving her Pokeball Belt around in his hand with a malicious smirk on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ya lookin’ for this, love?” he taunted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi furrowed her eyebrows angrily as she slowly stood up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Give me back my Pokemon…” she growled, clenching her fists tightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm…” he thought for a long minute, toying with her. “You know, I don’t think you’re in a position to bark orders, so I’m going to say no.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You son of a bi-” She went to charge at him but the Gardevoir standing beside him put up a protective wall, causing her to stumble back onto the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She blew her hair out of her face, glaring up at the psychopath as he chuckled darkly. He handed Gardevoir the belt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Put this in the cab.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Gardevoir cried and teleported away. The sound of a Flygon and Charizard roaring below caused Pearce to walk over to the ledge, staring down at the front of the castle walls. The Champion, tall ass, and emo gym leader landed in front of the castle, hurrying inside. He smirked, speaking to Zodi again with his back to Zodi. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looks like your boyfriends are here to save the ‘damsel in distress.’” he mocked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I may be a damsel, I may be in distress, but I can handle myself. Thank you.” She sneered, eyeing her surroundings, spotting a ladder to the next level off to her right. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pearce stepped back over to her and slowly circled her, tracing a finger along her jaw and down her neck. Zodi shuddered at the feeling, her skin crawling over the fact he dared to even touch her. He was toying with her, trying to get inside her head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re nothing without your pokemon…” he leaned into her ear, his breath hitting her ear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi fought to flinch because of him. She stood her ground, staring straight ahead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh I am so much more…” she growled. “You won’t get away with this… all the Gym Leaders and the Champion are here, and they will stop you…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckled, shaking his head, coming back around to face her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See that’s where you’re wrong, my pet… see… this was all part of the plan.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Part of the-” she stopped and thought for a moment, then realization hit her. “You- you wanted them all to come here…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s right. While they were dealing with all the Dynamax Pokemon then the Shadow Pokemon I unleashed in the castle, none of them would be able to protect their beloved cities from destruction.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a bastard, you know that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ooooh do I.” He held his arms out, circling in place. “Just look at all the chaos I’ve created.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi inched her way towards the wall with the ladder and stopped quickly when Pearce faced her again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But why would you want any of this? Galarians never did anything to you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, but two did,” he reminded. “There’s something almost arrogant and stubborn with your people… especially with your ‘Champion’ wanting ‘the strongest challengers’ ladeedadeeda. Never heard such utter bollocks from an arrogant bastard like him before this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You shut your fucking mouth.” Her jaw was clenched shut as she glared at him. “Leon is a lot of things, but arrogant isn’t one of them…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oooh, did I hit a nerve?” he laughed, getting in her face. “Why do you even care? I heard you two broke up, am I correct?” He didn’t give Zodi time to respond to that one. “But it doesn’t matter what you think, now does it? Because you all are going to die eventually, but… not until I see everyone’s hopes crushed as their whole world crashes and burns around them… quite literally…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not going to happen…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh it is… see, my...</span>
  <em>
    <span>employer...</span>
  </em>
  <span> told me this was my last chance, and I plan on not fucking it up this time.” He turned away, looking out at the Wild Area as the Dynamax Tyranitar shrunk and disappeared from view. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that sounds like you’re in hot water... but you forgot something.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what’s tha-” He turned around as Zodi’s fist landed hard on his face and her foot kicked into his stomach. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He collapsed to the ground from the force, shocked by her strength. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Zodi fucking Celestine, and you fucked with the wrong region, pal.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi bolted for the ladder and climbed it as fast as she could. Pearce sat up and wiped the blood from his lip. He growled and called out for his Weavile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Draxen! Mac!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>The pokemon came out of their Pokeballs, snarling when they saw their master on the ground. He pointed up towards Zodi’s disappearing figure. “Get the little bitch!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They nodded and ran after her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the guys ran into the lobby, everything was in ruins from pokemon attacks. Raihan saw Viktor and Aria trying to fight off five pokemon while Camilla and Sebastian tried to get Cynthia and the other people out of harm’s way. Piers sent out Scrafty. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Flygon! Dragon Claw!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Charizard, Air Slash!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Payback, Scrafty!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The attacks on the pokemon, plus Viktor and Aria’s attacks, finished the Shadow Pokemon; they went back to normal as they fainted. Raihan went up to Viktor and Aria hurriedly, putting a hand on their shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you guys all right?” he asked quickly, looking between the two. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, just a bit beat up.” Aria answered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing too bad, sir.” Viktor added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good. I need you to get all these people out.” He looked around at the Pokemon. “The Shadow Pokemon go back to normal when they faint. Sebastian, I want you to go to the Pokemon Center and tell them we need help reviving these pokemon. I need anyone who has pokemon who can fight to have them out and ready to fight. I don’t know how many Pokemon are out there, but I need everyone to stay alert. Then I want my team to go around and make sure civilians are safe. Is that understood?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Leader Raihan!” they shouted back, hurrying out the gate. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, I may actually be impressed,” Leon admitted as they headed through the historical part of the castle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not just good looking… I thought everyone knew that.” Raihan grumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think that was just you, mate.” Piers added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leon’s Rotom Phone came flying out of his pocket, Kabu was on video call. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We almost have the Tyranitar down, Leon!” he shouted over the fighting and roaring. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When you’ve finished and revived it, have everyone-” Two Shadow Machoke came around the corner about to attack. “Charizard, Air Slash!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piers threw out a Dusk Ball, Malamar coming out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Psycho Cut!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The powerful hits hit their targets and KO’d them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kabu, when you’re all finished here, head towards the stadium. There are Shadow Pokemon around every corner.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You got it, kid!” Kabu ended the call. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as that call ended, Raihan’s Rotom Phone came out of his pocket, quickly taking it and answering the voice call.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Raihan????” Zodi sounded frantic and breathy on the phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Babe, where are you??” Raihan asked quickly, getting a curious look from Piers and a unpleasantly confused expression from Leon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Third story , right side of castle. I’m on the roof! Shit!” There was a sound of a blast. “He took my pokemon and now I got the fucking Shining Twins on my fucking tail!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, we’re coming!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay- oh my ARCEUS, fuck off, motherfu-” the call ended suddenly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know a shortcut to get up there!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan started running the others and their pokemon following right behind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Babe? Since when is she babe to you?” Leon inquired, catching up to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan groaned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s nothing, Leon.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing, my-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can we kindly discuss who is fucking my friend now after we save Galar and Zodi?” Piers inquired authoritatively. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-okay, that’s fair,” Raihan quickly responded, turning a corner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, what?!” Leon shouted, disappearing around the corner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sweet, Arceus…” Piers groaned, following right after them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zodi raced down the battlement, the Weavile hot on her trail. She dodged Ice Beam and Shadow Ball attacks. She got to the tower of the Battlement, running up to the next level. Her chest was burning, but she couldn’t stop. She hoped Raihan and the others would get there soon because without her Pokemon, she was down the river without a paddle. The best she could do was let them know where she was with that phone call a bit ago. She raced down the new battlement but was stopped when a wall of ice blocked her way. She backtracked and stopped when Draxen and Mac flipped over the battlement wall and landed in front of her. Zodi stepped backwards until she felt her back hit the ice wall. The Weavile both began to create a Shadow Ball attack. Zodi stood there, glaring at the Weavile, standing her ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi, get down!!!” A familiar voice shouted out to her behind the ice wall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi turned to see the ice wall beginning to melt and glow orange. She quickly dropped to the ground covering her head as Charizard’s Fire Blast hit the two unexpecting Weavile, followed by Duruladon with an Iron Head to Draxen, and Scrafty with a Brick Break. The two Weavile couldn’t withstand the onslaught of attacks and collapsed to the ground. Their eyes were no longer red. Zodi turned her head to look at the Weavile before getting to her knees. Piers helped her up, Raihan and Leon hurrying over. Zodi quickly wrapped her arms around Raihan’s waist, Raihan holding her close, checking to see if she was alright. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You hurt?” Raihan inquired. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m fine.” She managed to catch her breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piers returned his Scrafty and hurried over to the Weavile and grabbed two revives out of his bag and healed the Pokemon. They groggily looked up at Piers, shuffling back, scared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s alright, mates… don’t worry. We aren’t going to hurt you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As that was said, a Flying Taxi came swooping up into the air with Pearce in the Cab with the door wide open to peer out and curtly wave at the group. The Corviknight and the cabbie appeared to be under some sort of trance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See ya around, kid.” He smirked darkly, slamming the door shut as he laughed, waving her Pokemon Belt to taunt her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi glanced at the end of the Battlement where he was heading and began bolting as fast as she could. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi, what the hell are you doing now?!” Leon shouted after her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He has my pokemon!” She shouted back as she hopped onto the edge of the battlement and pushed herself off and leapt at the Taxi. She grabbed onto it for dear life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Holy...shit...” the three guys mumbled, watching in complete awe that she actually made that jump. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my Arceuuuuuuuus, that woman is going to kill me….” Raihan mumbled under his breath.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zodi fought the urge to look down and started to climb her way up the taxi. Pearce growled and pulled out his knife and tried stabbing at her through the taxi. Zodi gasped as the knife barely got her, but she kept climbing. They flew higher and higher. Zodi reached the part that was connected to the Corviknight and began trying to pull the bar out. She successfully pulled it out and leapt onto the battlement under her as the Corviknight flew away. She landed rougher than she wanted and the wind was knocked out of her. She gasped for breath for a moment, standing up slowly. The cab had landed hard on the battlement, but Pearce had hopped out before it crashed, standing there, breathing heavily. Zodi put her hands up, ready to fight. Pearce’s face was crazed and furious as he showed her his blade. He started coming at her with slashes, Zodi quickly dodging them, swinging around and kicking the blade out of his hand. She landed another punch in his face and went to get him. He grabbed her leg and twisted it, making her fall to the ground. She cried out in pain trying to crawl backwards, but Pearce bent down and grabbed her roughly by the throat, lifting her in the air. Zodi gripped at his hands, trying to pull his hands from her neck. This caused him to squeeze tighter. He got in her face and snarled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is the last time… a meddling brat like </span>
  <em>
    <span>you, </span>
  </em>
  <span>is going to foil. My. PLANS.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He threw her off the side of the battlement, watching her fall for a moment before stepping away. The cabbie and Corviknight had landed below, shaking out of their Hypnosis trance from the Gardevoir. The cabbie happened to glance up and see Pearce holding a girl over the battlement then dropping her. He pointed at the girl. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Corviknight, catch her!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Corviknight cawed and swooped up in the air. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi closed her eyes tight, waiting to hit the ground when something grabbed onto her arms instead. She opened her eyes and looked up seeing the Corviknight she had just freed flying up the battlement she was just at. Pearce was beginning to walk down the battlement when he heard a loud caw and turned, seeing a flash of black swoop over the wall, safely placing Zodi on the ground. It cawed again as it flew away back to its owner. Pearce growled loudly, starting to storm towards her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why won’t you just die?” he screamed at her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He went to strike her when Charizard landed in front of him, roaring loudly in his face. Pearce stumbled back and turned around to find Leon and Raihan standing there, glaring at him. They brought back their fists and punched him in the face, causing him to stumble backwards. Piers held his mic stand out and swiped his feet from under him, watching him collapse onto his back. He tried reaching for his knife, only for Leon to step on his wrist, applying pressure that caused him to cry out in pain. Leon kicked the knife out of the way with his other foot, glowering down at the man. Raihan crouched down and grabbed Zodi’s Pokeball Belt off him and smiled smugly down at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be taking this back, mate. Thanks.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stood up, Zodi hurrying over and taking her belt back, putting it back on her waist. She checked all of them: All of them were there except…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gengar isn’t in his Pokeball…” Dread instantly consumed her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pearce chuckled darkly, glancing up at her. Her heart shattered. He wouldn’t… he couldn’t have…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh... I did…” he retorted back.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A huge thank you to Dragon_Queen for helping me figure out the Flying Taxi dude situation because I was stuck for two days trying to figure out Pearce managed that. </p><p>WOW SO MUCH HAPPENED, AND I AM SO TIRED. I'm posting this at 2:31am. I hope you guys liked it. I'm kind of super happy with this chapter. But this isn't the end of everything. Ehehehe.</p><p>Zodi gives Raihan, Leon, and Piers a heart attack and anxiety attack every time she decides to do something reckless. I don't know why she's like this. She just really loves her pokemon, y'all...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. listen before i go</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Um... I'm going to apologize ahead of time... I'm sorry...</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Seventeen</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pearce cried out in pain as Leon applied pressure to his wrist. They all glared down at him, Zodi doing her best not to pounce on Pearce. Piers pulled out his phone, calling the cops. He wrapped an arm around Zodi’s shoulders, that being the only thing keeping Zodi from ripping Pearce’s throat out. Raihan grabbed him by the front of his shirt, getting in his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you do to Gengar?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pearce just smirked, flinching from the pain. He chuckled with a smug look on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think I wouldn’t have a plan if this one failed…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan let him go and stepped away from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yes...I used the serum on the little bitch’s Gengar.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan growled and punched him square in the jaw. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t call her that, you piece of shit.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pearce cracked his neck and rubbed his jaw, readjusting his jaw. He groaned, glaring up at Leon and Raihan as they backed away from him, towering over him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two have one helluva punch…” He spat blood on the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The police are on their way.” Piers said as he put his phone away. “You’re going to fucking prison, mate.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to find, Gengar…” Zodi was rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You go find, Gengar, we’ll stay with him.” Leon told her, folding his arms across his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sure…?” she hesitantly glanced between Pearce and Leon. Leon nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, he’s not going anywhere.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, guys…” She started hurrying down the battlement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi.” Zodi stopped, looking back at Raihan. “No more jumping off battlements, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiled lightly, chuckling softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t make any promises, dragon boy, but I’ll try…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi ran and entered the castle at the end of the battlement, Raihan smiling after her. The smile faded away as Pearce chuckled darkly, slowly stumbling to his feet. His breathing was labored, resting his hands on his knees as he tried to get his bearings. Raihan and Leon backed up a bit, standing near Piers, keeping a wary eye on him. Pearce locked eyes with Leon’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s so funny there, mate…?” Piers hesitantly inquired, glancing over at the other two. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I’m not going back to prison, boys…” His tone was menacing. “I’m not giving that bastard, Giovanni, a chance in hell of getting me…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who’s Giovanni?” Leon demanded, holding his ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pearce chuckled again, shaking his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t matter anymore… I’m leaving this world with a bang, and you’re coming with me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Pearce lunged at Leon.  Raihan reacted fast and pushed Leon out of the way, feeling  the wind knocked out of him as Pearce made contact. Raihan stumbled back over the battlement and went over the side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Raihan!!” Leon and Piers shouted, reaching for him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan grabbed onto one of the flag poles on the side of the wall, losing grip of one hand from Pearce’s weight. Raihan’s eyes widened as he saw how high they were from the ground. Pearce was hanging onto his leg, trying to pull himself up. Raihan’s free leg swung and kicked Pearce unintentionally, causing Pearce to lose his grip and plummet towards the ground. Raihan grabbed onto the pole with his other hand and quickly covered his face into his arm, not wanting to see Pearce’s broken body on the ground stories below him. Leon reached his arm down to him, trying to get his attention. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Raihan! Take my hand!” he shouted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan didn’t move; he was too scared to move. He glanced back down at the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rai, buddy, it’s going to be okay, but I really need you to take my hand right now. Look at me. Look. at. Me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan raised his head, looking up at Leon. He took a deep breath and nodded slowly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going to let you fall. You have to trust me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan nodded, hoisting himself up on the pole, grasping Leon’s wrist tightly. Leon gripped back and pulled him up. Piers quickly grabbed Raihan’s other arm and they pulled him over the wall. Raihan’s legs gave out on him, Leon quickly setting him down. Raihan grabbed both Leon and Piers and hugged them tightly. Piers awkwardly patted him on the back, Leon shocked by the hug. He patted his friend on the back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, buddy… you’re okay…” He rested his chin on top of Raihan’s head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We-we should find, Zodi…” Raihan managed to speak. “Can-can you guys help me up…? My legs feel like jello…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, mate.” Piers answered as he and Leon got under his arms and hoisted him up, Piers not being much help once Raihan was standing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leon held him up as they walked quickly down the battlement to find Zodi.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zodi ran down the corridor. Her heart was pounding, threatening to leap out of her chest. She searched every corner, every shadow, sweating beading down the side of her face. Her breathing was labored as she began to panic. She had to find Gengar. He had to be somewhere. Zodi couldn’t bear the thought of losing her best friend. They were always there for one another through thick or thin. He was her partner and her very first Pokemon. She had to force herself not to let her tears fall down her face. There was no time to worry. She had to focus. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi stopped in the middle of a long, wide corridor. Something zoomed past her, making her sharply turn around. It did it again and again before it disappeared again. She took a deep breath and slowly closed her eyes, her breathing gradually slowing down, the furious pounding of her heart calming. She just stood...and listened. She heard the wind howling...rattling against the old windows. Then she heard it: the rush in the shadows. Her eyes darted open and went to the row of armor on her right. A set of blood red eyes glared at her through the shadows and disappeared. The sound of running footsteps was heard behind her. Leon, Piers, and Raihan came to a slow stop. Leon went to speak, but Zodi raised her hand, shooshing them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s here…” she whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The lights overhead began to flicker, then went completely off. The lights came back on, and at the end of the hall was Gengar. His eyes were a far more vicious red than normal and black veins running down the sides of its head. Zodi began to tremble, not from fear, but from anger that Pearce did this to </span>
  <em>
    <span>her </span>
  </em>
  <span>pokemon, to </span>
  <em>
    <span>her </span>
  </em>
  <span>best friend. She clenched and unclenched her hands, taking a step forward. Gengar released a warning attack, the Shadow Ball landing just in front of her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi, what are you doing?” Raihan asked, panic creeping into his voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not attacking my Gengar…” Zodi never took her eyes off Gengar for a moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t honestly think reasoning with it in this state is going to work, do you?” Raihan asked again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rai, I have to try.” she managed to choke out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan went to stop her, but Leon and Piers quickly grabbed his arms, holding him back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mate, let her do this.” Piers told him. “She may be able to reason with it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi took another deep breath and slowly crept towards Gengar. She smiled softly, raising her hands up slowly to signal she was a friend. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, buddy… it’s me… you remember me…? It’s Zodi… we’re best friends… you-you followed me home one night when I was eight… I was with my dad during one of his classes he held in the Wild Area… and I wandered off… and you played little pranks on me and played with me until dad and his students found me… you remember that…? You were just a wee Gastly then…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gengar growled and released a Night Shade move, an attack that the pokemon hadn’t known for years, and this time, it hit Zodi full on. Zodi cried out and collapsed to one knee. She clenched her eyes shut, seeing flashes of her worst nightmares. Piers had to step in front of both Leon and Raihan this time, Piers himself struggling with the whole thing, clenching his eyes shut as he heard the attack land on Zodi. Zodi’s legs were wobbly as she glanced up at Gengar. It seemed to be struggling with himself a bit, but it wasn’t enough. She shakily stood up, resting her hands on her knees. She stood up straight and started walking again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got to the train station… and I felt something was following me while my dad was buying our tickets… We got on the train and it still felt like there was something following me… we got home and you appeared in front of me and my dad… you wanted to play and to stay with me… so my dad gave me one of his Pokeballs and you went right into it…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was struck again by Night Shade, fighting to stand up this time. Images of everyone she loved leaving her all alone flooded her mind. Raihan towering over her with a look of disgust and disappointment in his eyes as he turned his back to her, walking away with the others. She shook her head, tears streaming down her face as she started to struggle walking forward. Gengar was almost fighting with itself recognizing Zodi and not at the same time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were there for my first kiss… if I was fighting with Leon or Raihan, you’d always be there to comfort me...if my mom made me cry, you always pulled pranks on her...and then cheered me up...we went through the Gym Challenge together and faced Leon...you just wanted to make me proud... and you always make me proud…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span> She choked back a sob as another attack hit her. She crumpled to her knees; losing her dad went through her mind as the nightmares kept coming. Sobs escaped her lips. She could barely stand up, but she managed. She was struggling to keep her eyes open now. Gengar still had the black veins around its eyes, but it almost appeared to be begging her to stop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We went on lots of adventures together… don’t you remember…? We defeated all the gyms and the champions in all those regions…? We-we were the duo no one wanted to mess with… You make me a better...and more caring person... We’re a team, you and me and the others… you’re my family… Gengar- you have to remember, buddy…You gotta remember...You gotta...please...it’s me… Zodi…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi reached Gengar and collapsed to her knees as he was about to attack her again She quickly wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Gengar’s eyes snapped back to their normal shade of red and the veins slowly away. Zodi weakly lifted her head and saw he was back to normal, smiling feebly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good...boy…” Her voice was barely above a whisper before her eyes rolled back and she blacked out, collapsing to the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Gengar?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Gengar was concerned, disappearing and reappearing beside her. It wanted her to get up. Tears were welling up in his eyes as he started panicking. She wasn’t moving. He looked over to the three guys, tears rolling down its face. Raihan ran over to her and carefully cradled her in his arms as he stood up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s going to be okay, buddy. She’s going to be okay…she’s going to be okay…” He wasn’t sure if he was saying to reassure the pokemon or himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan hurried down the corridor, heading towards the exit, the Piers and Leon following behind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Leaders had all taken care of the Shadow Pokemon, working with the nurses to take care of the Pokemon. Everyone lifted their heads when Raihan, Piers, and Leon came out of the castle from the main entrance. Everyone’s faces dropped when they saw Zodi unconscious in Raihan’s arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Raihan, what-” Nessa began but was cut off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just please get out of the way.” Raihan’s voice cracked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everyone stepped back and gave him a path. He walked through, heading toward the Pokemon Center, one of the Nurse Joy’s hurrying after him. Leon and Piers looked around at everyone: their eyes on them. They walked after Raihan, leaving the Leaders behind. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi, um... I'm not actually sorry for the feels because I hurt myself with this chapter. So uh. Yee. Hope you guys enjoyed! Thanks for getting me to a little over 500 hits! I really appreciate it. I didn't expect to get that many, to be honest. 💜✨</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Second Chances and Forgiveness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Eighteen</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The nurses wouldn’t let anyone stay or be near Zodi when they got her into the Pokemon Center. The effects of the multiple Night Shade attacks left her unstable and experiencing nightmares. He couldn’t get her screams echoing down the hall out of his head as he stood in the lobby the next day. They were already working on the repairs throughout the castle. Everyone who walked past him appeared concerned but didn’t bother saying anything out of respect. He didn’t see them anyway. His mind was faraway from that lobby. He ignored the news reports on the screen, showing footage of all that happened yesterday. He ignored the fact that Pearce was dead and everyone in Galar was safe. He ignored the reports about Zodi being in a bad condition.  He ignored all of that because the one person he cared about wasn’t okay. He thought about how torn up Harris must have been about all this, not being able to get out of his own hospital bed to see his daughter. All the Leaders and Spenser gave him space and didn’t prod him on the whole ordeal, but they were all worried about him and Zodi. Leon and Piers stayed in Hammerlocke to keep an eye on Raihan and to be there when Zodi woke up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His thoughts were broken by the sound of echoing footsteps from behind him. He slowly turned around and couldn’t believe who he saw. It was almost like staring into a mirror. Draken was about two inches shorter than Raihan and had a well-groomed short full beard. His aura gave off a sense of magnificence and power. He had the same cerulean blue eyes and dark skin, his black hair was greying at his temples and was longer than Raihan’s, tied back out of his face. He looked through his glasses at his son. Everyone stopped working and gaped at the previous Gym Leader and Vault Keeper. No one had seen the leader in five years since he had handed down his titles to his son, retiring after the death of his wife. Draken and Raihan just stared at one another: no one spoke. Draken cleared his throat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, bud…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan couldn’t control his emotions any longer. He broke the distance and wrapped his arms around his dad’s shoulders, burying his face into his neck. He broke down, everything from the day before hitting him at once. He was so tired of trying to be the strong and tough one. He was tired of holding everything back. Draken instantly wrapped his arms around his son and held him close, rubbing his back. Raihan held onto him tighter, trying to stop sobbing, but he couldn’t stop. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My boy… my sweet boy… it’s okay to cry… I’m here… It’s alright…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, dad… I’m sorry…” he choked out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have nothing to be sorry about… Don’t start that… come on. Let’s go…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan broke away and angrily wiped his eyes as his dad wrapped an arm around him. Draken turned his head back and intensely glared at everyone staring. Everyone remembered that glare and quickly averted their eyes, going back to work. He turned away, leading Raihan out of the castle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They sat on one of the benches outside of The Vault. The sun was shining and the sounds of pokemon chirping and calling out to another echoed through the air. No one was out, though, on this sunny day. It was the spot Draken had always taken Raihan when he was upset. It was quiet and peaceful there. He sat and listened to the sounds around him as Raihan sat there, silent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You came home…” Raihan finally said, clearing his dry throat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I saw the news and had to come back to make sure you were alright…” He glanced over, his expression forlorn. “How’s Zodi…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. They won’t let me see her. They won’t let anyone near her. I don’t know. I don’t. know. I wish I knew because this all fucking sucks, waiting and waiting and waiting to hear whether she’s going to come out of this or not.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan buried his face in his hands before yanking off his headband. Draken sighed heavily, knowing exactly how that felt. He waited a few moments, letting Raihan cool down before he continued. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know...when your mum went in for that...last surgery… I honestly felt the same way you are feeling right now… all the waiting and no one telling you what’s going on… feeling helpless...it eats you up inside…and yeah… it really fucking sucks.” He managed to get a small chuckle out of Raihan from his last line. “But you don’t have to hide your emotions, Rai… Only in battle you do that. You don’t give the other person the satisfaction of your defeat, but it’s okay to express basic human emotions outside of the battle…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everyone expects cool, strong Raihan. They don’t care about how I feel. They just want me to win battles.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A lot more people care about you than you think, Raihan…” He remained calm as Raihan stood up, glowering down at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Care about me the way you do? You left me alone, at fifteen, and made me the Gym Leader. You handed down the title that’s been honored and in our family for centuries to a kid then left me here alone. You abandoned your own son. You’re not the only one who lost mom. I lost her too. Everyone I cared about were busy doing their own thing, and I didn’t want to burden them with all the shit. I needed my dad.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draken sat and listened, staring down at his hands. Raihan stared down at his dad, waiting for a response. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you did… I know…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan groaned, rubbing the back of his head. It seemed like everything that had been piling up over the years had crashed entirely, spewing out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why’d you leave? Why’d you even come back?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I left because everything here reminded me of her.” Draken didn’t look up. “I loved your mother for a very long time, Raihan, and when she died… I lost my best friend. I couldn’t focus on battles anymore because I would see her in the stands, watching. I’d walk down the street and see her there. I looked at you… and I saw all her best qualities in you. Her passion, her kindness, her sarcasm, her attitude; you have all of that, and it just made me miss her more. It doesn’t make it right, but I had to get away from everything or I was going to go insane…  I was the strongest and fiercest Gym Leader in all of Galar, and I had never felt more helpless and broken when they told me Aster didn’t make it…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears were running down Draken’s face. Raihan didn’t speak. He had seen his dad cry two other times, and it wasn’t any easier. He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, taking a heavy deep breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad, I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I came home because yesterday, I turned on the news and saw you- I don’t know what I would do if I lost you too…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan crouched down in front of his dad, gripping onto his shoulders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad…you couldn’t lose me… I’m stubborn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draken chuckled, glancing down at his son, resting his on the side of Raihan’s head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You and the others are immensely stubborn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah… Leon and I were kind of a bad influence on Zo…” his voice trailed off as he sighed, looking down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want to know something about Zodi?” Raihan didn’t look up. “She is one of the fiercest and strongest challengers I have faced in all my years, and I strongly believe she’s going to come out of this fine. But you can’t beat yourself up over a choice she made.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did you-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I ran into Leon and Piers on the way from the station…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really care about her that much, don’t you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan nodded, slowly standing up. Draken stood up and smiled lightly, patting his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got it pretty bad for her, dad…” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on…” Draken wrapped his arm around Raihan and they started walking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where are we going?” Raihan walked beside his dad, feeling better than he did after getting all of it off his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m taking you to lunch, and we’re just going to talk about whatever until we hear back about Zodi. Just you and me. Sound good?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan smiled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That sounds great, dad…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good.” Draken patted him on the shoulder. “You know, the day Zodi beat me in the challenge, I wanted her to be my daughter-in-law?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No you didn’t...” Raihan flushed, slamming his palm to his forehead, groaning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What??? I did!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daaaaad,” he grumbled, feeling like his entire face was on fire. “I have to get through the dating stage first, man…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draken laughed and walked back into town, and they ate lunch and talked, just like Draken said. It felt like he had his dad back and though he still shook up from the day before, he had a feeling that everything might be okay. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It took a couple days for the worst of the Night Shade symptoms to go away before anyone was allowed to see Zodi, but she still wasn’t waking up. All her vitals were back to normal, but her mind and body were exhausted from resisting the Night Shade attacks. Everyone took turns keeping her company while she was unconscious, hoping she would wake up soon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gengar wouldn’t come out for anyone. He would stay in the shadows, out of view of everyone, until they all left, including the nurses. They even had Allister come in and try to convince him to come out, but he wouldn’t listen to Allister either. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was about a week after the incident. It was starting to get dark out. Spenser had brought Harris in earlier that afternoon to be with Zodi. Spenser had extended his stay to make sure Zodi was going to be okay and to be there to support Harris through everything. He had fallen asleep in the chair with his arms folded across his chest and his head slumped over. Harris looked over at him and smiled, looking him over slowly. The civilian clothes did him more justice than his Ranger uniform. His attention shifted when the bed shifted and Zodi’s hand squeezed his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you checking Spenser out…?” she croaked, clearing her throat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes were half lidded as she smiled feebly at him. Harris quickly turned to her and instantly regretted it, feeling the stitches pull a bit. He opened one eye and smiled brightly down at her, resting his hand on her cheek, stroking it gently with his thumb. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, sweetheart…” he quietly greeted, brushing her hair out of her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, daddy…” she mumbled, smiling. “You didn’t... answer my question…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You asked me something?” He rubbed the back of his head, glancing over at Spenser to make sure he was still asleep. Luckily he was, or so he thought. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘s Spenser gonna be my new step daddy?” Her speech was slow and quiet but still full of mischief. “I support the shit outta that…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The nurses must have given you some potent stuff, babe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Spenser is hot… and you’re my dad… like...put those together and woosh… the world would explode with like...happiness and badassery shit…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spenser couldn’t help smirking, listening and pretending to be asleep. Harris could feel his face burning, clearing his throat multiple times. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you feeling, sweetheart…?” He attempted to change the topic, hoping she hadn’t noticed his red face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very… very… sleepy…” she mumbled. “But no more nightmares...so that’s good…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s good…everyone’s been worried about you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…? How long was I out..?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About a week…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A week…” she went to sit up quickly but fell back on the bed feebly. “Is everyone-Is Gengar…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everyone is fine. Gengar is here and fine, but he’s hiding from everyone..… the boys came in this morning, then your mom and Cedric this afternoon… Now you’re stuck with me and sleeping beauty over there. .”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I heard that.” Spenser gruffly responded, stretching and standing up, walking over to the bed. “Hey there, kid…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, Spense…” she smiled sleepily up at him. “Did we get ‘im…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spenser nodded, looking at Harris before he looked back at Zodi. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we got him, kid… He’s not going to hurt anymore people where he’s at…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good...good…” she mumbled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A nurse walked into the room, surprised to see Zodi awake. She smiled kindly and checked her monitors and chart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, well, well, look who’s awake.” Her voice was joyful and calm. “Are you feeling alright, sweetheart?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, ma’am… just very sleepy…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is expected since your mind was in a constant nightmare for a few days. Would you like to go back to sleep?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi nodded sleepily, smiling. Harris slowly stood up and leaned over as carefully as he could and kissed her on the forehead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see you tomorrow, sweetheart, okay…? I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded again, smiling up at her dad. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See ya tomorrow, kid.” Spenser brushed her hair out of her face, walking towards the door after Harris. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bye, Spenser… hey, make sure he tells you about-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Spense.” Harris interrupted, rushing him out to avoid the conversation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spenser chuckled and winked at Zodi, giving her a thumbs up as he walked out into the hall to catch up with Harris. Zodi smiled, watching them leave. She then relaxed and started falling asleep again after the nurse gave her something to sleep through the night. Before she fell asleep and when the nurse finally left, Zodi saw a purple figure appear beside her bed. She turned her head slowly, her eyes fighting to stay open. She smiled at the pokemon, reaching her hand out, petting his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s my good boy…” she mumbled, seeing his sad, red eyes staring down at her. “Don’t be sad… I’m okay… I’m okay, buddy… You didn’t...mean to...hurt me…” She yawned. “You’re my good boy...I’ll see you...in the… morn…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes fluttered shut, and she was out like a light. Gengar morphed himself into a tiny version of himself and snuggled up to her side. She smiled softly in her sleep giving Gengar some reassurance that she wasn’t upset with him. He nuzzled up to her and fell asleep, sleeping the entire night. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello, a little mix of angst and humor throughout this chapter. I wanted to focus a little more on Raihan in this chapter because in my story, I feel like the only two people truly see this emotional, vulnerable side of Raihan are Zodi and his dad and his dad can relate to Raihan with this situation, only Zodi is okay in this parallel. </p><p>Also, I don't know if I brought this up in notes before, but my headcanon is that the Guardian of the Vault is an honored position that has been held by Raihan's family for centuries and I think the Gym Leadership is passed down to family as well in the case of Hammerlocke's Stadium.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. ocean eyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey, guys. Sorry for the slight delay. The past few days I've been hit on and off with depression, and I was really struggling to get this chapter finished and just finding the energy to write was rough. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Nineteen</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The afternoon sun came in through the window. Zodi woke up from her nap, seeing Raihan sitting in the chair next to her. He had his arms crossed on the bed with her hand in his, his phone laying on the bed, focused on a video. She smiled sleepily, brushing her thumb against his hand. Raihan’s eyes quickly darted to his hand before his eyes locked on hers. A huge, fanged grin came upon his face, and it made Zodi’s stomach flutter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi there, handsome…” she mumbled cutely. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She barely got her greeting up before he leaned over and cupped her face, pressing his lips softly against hers. They kissed for a long moment before he slowly pulled away, resting his forehead against hers. Zodi looked into his eyes; they looked tired, sad, relieved, and many other emotions swirling together with one another. She could get lost in those ocean eyes.  She reached her hand up and brushed his cheek with her thumb, seeing his eyes watering. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you crying…?” she teased lightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not crying… your hair got in my eye.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve used that excuse before, dragon boy… you need a new excuse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her smile brightened as she saw him get flustered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uuuh...I’ve got nothing, ghostie.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This got a giggle out of her, lighting Raihan’s face up. Gengar slipped out of the shadows and hopped back and forth on his feet, pointing at the door. Raihan sat back in his quickly, letting go of her hand, but kept it close enough that his fingers brushed against it. Zodi was confused for a moment before Gengar disappeared and hid in Raihan’s shadow as Piers and Leon walked into the room. Zodi grinned down at Gengar before smiling at the other two. Piers saw she was awake and toothily grinned, a rare sighting for anyone to see. He had something hidden behind his back as he stepped up to the bed. He held out his fist, Zodi automatically fist bumping him back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sleeping beauty’s finally awake.” he teased. “Don’t worry me like that again, you may get an emotional response from me next time.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh shut up and give me a hug…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his neck. Piers wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. They didn’t let go for what seemed like a minute. Piers wasn’t letting go of her until Zodi pulled away. He was just relieved that she was awake and okay. That’s all he wanted that entire week, for her to wake up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pulled away and he handed her what was behind his back. It was a single purple rose. Zodi smiled brightly at the flower and took it shyly. She brought it up to her nose and sniffed it. It was one of her favorite flowers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew you would flip shit if I fussed over you, so I got you a single flower to show I cared.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re poetic as fuck.” She snickered, teasing him. “Thank you. I love my flower very much.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi placed it in her lap and her hand slid back down to touch Raihan’s hand. She glanced over at Leon. He stood back from the others, watching their interactions. She gave him a small smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, Lee…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Zo…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was an awkward silence. No one spoke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to stand over there…” she quietly told him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I um- I can’t stay long… I just wanted to see that you were awake, and brought someone who wanted to see you…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where is-” Piers looked behind Leon then poked his head out the door. “Allister, why are you hiding in the hall, mate? You can come in.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dark haired boy poked his head shyly around Piers; he wasn’t wearing his mask today. When he saw she was awake, he smiled shyly and walked into the room hesitantly. He looked back at Piers to make sure it was okay. Piers nodded towards Zodi, shoving his hands in his pocket as he walked back over to her side. Allister stepped up to her beside, wringing his hands shyly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“H-hi, Miss Zodi…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my goodness, hi, buddy…” She carefully moved herself over, patting the spot beside her. “Come here, Ghost Boy.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allister sat on the spot beside her and hugged her waist, hiding his face in her shoulder. Zodi hugged him close, resting her head on top of his, stroking his hair gently. Allister was one of her little brothers she “adopted” over the years. They had a lot in common when it came to being different and loving Ghost-Type Pokemon. He was very shy and insecure, being the youngest Gym Leader in Galar. He would usually call Zodi if he had a question about training certain Ghost Pokemon or just needed someone to talk to other than his sister for a change. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Allister, Piers is going to take you home later, alright?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Allister turned his head to look at Leon and nodded lightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, Leon… but I thought you said you’d take me home…?” he quietly responded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, buddy, but something came up, okay?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leon, you don’t-” Zodi started but was cut off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll tell mom and Hop that you’re awake and okay.” Leon smiled lightly before heading out the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leon, wait-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Raihan put a hand on her shoulder and stood up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll go talk to him.” His voice was calm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi looked hesitant, biting her lip, not sure if that was the greatest idea. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll be fine. You talk to Piers and Allister. I’ll be right back.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that, he was out the door after Leon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leon had made it to the lobby when Raihan caught up to him. Raihan gently grabbed him by the arm; he stopped. He didn’t turn to face him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, man, you okay?” Raihan carefully asked, not wanting to start anything. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not doing this right now.” Leon told him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leon, man, come on…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Honestly, I’m not okay right now, Rai, but I’m trying to be supportive and to act like I’m okay.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leon, I’m sorry for what I said the other week and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, right now, I don’t want sympathy from you, I don’t want an apology, I don’t want anything to do with you right now.” Leon turned to face him. “I don’t know what’s going on between you and Zodi, and I really don’t want to think about it right now. This week has been a trying one for us all, and I’ve been trying to be supportive for your sake because I know how much she means to you. But I’m just...tired of pretending we’re okay when we’re not. I’m hanging on by one strand of respect I have left for you as a friend, and I would appreciate it if you would just leave me be for the sake of what’s left of our friendship.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But we need to talk about this, man.” Raihan stood there, feeling awful. “I never wanted to hurt you. I didn’t want any of this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you did.” Leon intensely stared up at him. “I gotta go, Rai.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned his back, walking out of the center. Raihan just watched him leave, sighing heavily. A part of him, deep down, wanted them to break up, but not like this. He would never admit that to anyone because that was a side he didn’t like about himself. Raihan shoved his hands in his pockets and walked back to the room. He couldn’t get Leon’s words out of his head. They just kept repeating and repeating and repeating, echoing against his skull. Piers was standing outside the door, leaning against the frame when Raihan came back. He glanced down at him, and Piers could tell it didn’t go well from the glum expression on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You okay, mate?” Piers asked him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope. Feel like a load of shit.” He stepped into the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piers shrugged and nodded, expecting that sort of response. He followed after him. Allister was surprisingly talking Zodi’s ear off about what happened when she was taken by Pearce and the events of the past week. Zodi was smiling softly, attentively listening as she brushed his hair gently out of his face with her fingers. Raihan smiled lovingly at her as he watched her interact with Allister. He could tell something was wrong though. Her smiling face appeared to be happy, but her eyes betrayed her. Allister had a baggie of berries in his lap, feeding them to Gengar as he talked. Gengar would spin into a tiny ball then circle around the boy to get a berry. Allister would giggle and give him a berry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You made sure Gengar didn’t go hungry all week…?” Zodi inquired softly, not noticing the guys walking back into the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! I made sure to leave plenty of Occa berries for him because I remembered you telling me how much he liked them, then I made sure to ask the guys if they fed Gengar. Gengars get grumpy when they don’t eat, and I didn’t want Gengar to get grumpy when he was already really super sad because I know how it feels to be really grumpy and sad when I’m hungry, and it’s not a fun time.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d be grumpy and sad too if I didn’t eat.” Raihan cut in, ruffling Allister’s hair cutely. Zodi smiled up at Raihan, her eyes crinkling as she did so, before looking back at Allister.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well that was very sweet of you to do that… I’m sure Gengar was appreciative.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gengar leapt into the air in his tiny form and stuck his tongue out happily as he disappeared into Raihan’s shadow then into Pier’s shadow. Allister’s phone buzzed and flew out of his pocket. He read his text and sighed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bea needs me to come back early… Apparently Aunt Becky is coming over for dinner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Awe, that’s okay, buddy. Your Aunt Becky is the cool witchy aunt.” She ruffled his hair cutely, getting a laugh out of him as he fixed his hair. “I appreciate you coming to see me, though.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah she is!” He hugged Zodi’s waist suddenly, nuzzling up to her. Zodi was taken aback but smiled and hugged him back, stroking his hair. “I’m glad you’re okay, Zodi…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad I’m okay too…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled away and hopped off the bed. Zodi saw his bag of berries on the bed and picked them up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t forget your berries, sweetheart.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He held his head up and shook his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You keep them for Gengar.” he told her, smiling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh no, Allister, I couldn’t take these. They’re your berries.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I picked them just for your Gengar. It’s really okay.” he reassured her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi hesitated for a moment, then smiled down at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, buddy… thank you. See ya later, Ghost Boy.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bye, Zodi!” he waved, walking over to Piers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on kid. Better get ya home. Zodi, Raihan, I’ll catch ya guys later.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piers waved before walking out with Allister, chatting with him. Raihan and Zodi were left alone. She placed the bag of berries on the nightstand with her flower, then stared down at her hands in her lap. They didn’t speak for a while. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m guessing it didn’t go well...huh…?” Zodi finally broke the silence, wringing her hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not at all…” he responded, shoving his hands in his pockets. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I understand if you need some space right now…” She quietly mumbled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan raised his eyebrows, wondering what she meant by that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know I messed up your friendship with Leon… well… just messed up in general… Maybe I shouldn’t have even bothered coming home… I just keep hurting people I care about…I’m cursed or something...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, now… stop that…” He got into bed with her and wrapped his arm around her, holding her close. She plopped her head on his shoulder. “You don’t hurt people you care about, and you’re certainly not cursed…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do… I hurt you, Leon, my dad…” Zodi mumbled, hiding her face in his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t mean to do that… any of that… Leon just… needs some time to himself… and I get that.” Raihan played with her hair comfortingly, gazing down at her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you don’t…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan shook his head lightly, brushing his fingers along her cheek. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah… I’ve always been told not to hide my emotions, and it’s about time I actually started listening to that advice… we can’t just keep running away from our problems or pretend we don’t have feelings… that’s not how we get through things, but we can get through them together… and I can assure you, Ghost Girl, I’m not going anywhere...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pressed his lips against the top of her head, wrapping his other arm around her, rocking her gently. Her arms slipped around his waist, nodding her head lightly. She leaned up and kissed his cheek softly, smoothing out his hoodie. She nuzzled up to him, taking a deep breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m tired of running away from my problems…” she mumbled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to run away anymore.” He whispered to her, kissing her forehead, not letting her go any time soon. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter was inspired by ocean eyes by Billie Eilish, at least the beginning part. </p><p>Please don't be mad at Leon... He's trying, but he's hurt too, but it will get better for them soon, maybe. Oof. He's getting a nicer fan fiction next...</p><p>So Piers: I love this man. When I see something that reminds me of my friend, I'll either get it for them or tell them about it because I think paying attention to little things that make your favorite people happy is the most wholesome thing in this entire world. </p><p>My best friend Becky made a cameo in this because I showed her Allister, and she loved him so much and said she would love him and be his witchy mom, so I made her his witchy aunt.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. That's My Secret, Guys, I'm Really Fucking Angry</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Twenty</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A few days later, Zodi was finally released from the Pokemon Center. Raihan had brought her a change of clothes from the clothes she had at his place. She was just happy she was able to shower, be in her normal clothes, and was able to finally leave the Pokemon Center. She wanted to eat normal food, check on her pokemon and see if they were alright, and she just wanted to cuddle up to Raihan. Unfortunately, that happiness vanished as soon as she walked out those doors with Raihan. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flashing cameras, reporters, news cameramen surrounded her. She quickly put her arm up, the flashing lights making her head pound. They were shouting her name and talking over one another, trying to get the first question. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Could you-could you turn your flashes off please? They’re bothering my head…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The request got around and everyone turned their flashes off before hounding her again with questions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi! How are you feeling?” One of the female reporters asked, holding out her recorder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um, I’m doing a lot better, thank you for asking. A bit groggy still.” She answered shyly, desperately wishing she could hold Raihan’s hand at the moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi! Is it true you’re the one who figured out Pearce Beckett’s plan to destroy Galar?” Another reporter quickly asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I uh, I guess I did…” she rubbed the back of her head, becoming flustered from the attention. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did it feel working with your ex, our Champion of Galar, Leon, to stop the attack?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi frowned at the question. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I called him because we needed help. Leon wants nothing more than to keep Galar safe, and I still trust Leon to watch my back. Uh, is that all-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Witnesses have spotted Leon visiting you over the past week; is it possible you both are getting back together?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No. He was coming to check on me…this has nothing to do-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There are rumors that you were having an affair with Leader Raihan and that’s what caused the break up. Is that true?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi’s fists clenched tightly, her whole body becoming tense. They were doing it again. They were making it all about Leon all over again. They were making it all about her relationship with Leon again. They didn’t want to talk about her. They wanted to talk about Leon this and Leon that. That’s all she heard for the past ten years since he became the Champion. That’s all she heard when he beat her in the tournament five years in a row, when they started dating. They just wanted to hear about their beloved champion. Raihan was getting nervous, seeing how her body was reacting. It only meant one thing and usually, it wasn’t good: She was about to snap. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is not true, whatsoever. Raihan and I are best friends. Are we done?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi began pushing through the crowd, but stopped when she heard the next question. Her blood was boiling, her knuckles white. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How does it feel, after all these years, to be constantly in the shadow of our Champion, realizing, after all your travels, you’ll never actually be as great as Leon? Was this all just a feeble attempt to steal the spotlight from our Unbeatable Champion?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi stood there. She didn’t move. The reporters stopped talking and nervously looked around at each other. Raihan weaved through the reporters to get to her. She still hadn’t moved. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi, just ignore-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She put her hand up to stop him. Raihan instantly went quiet. She turned slowly, glaring at the reporter who asked the question. If looks could kill, he would have dropped dead right there. She scanned the mass of reporters. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which one of your cameras is live?” She growled. “I want what I’m about to say to be heard by everyone… in Galar.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Multiple cameramen raised their hands. She approached the reporter, poking him in the chest hard, making him stumble back some. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now I want you to listen, and listen well, because I’m not going to say this again to you lot… I’m in no one’s shadow… no one’s… I could list all the accomplishments I’ve achieved the past four years that would make you shrivel up in a corner and make you regret what you just asked me. They would make you look back on your pathetic life of harassing people because honestly, sir, you’re pretty pathetic for having the balls to ask me any of those questions. But I won’t bring any of them up because I’m feeling </span>
  <em>
    <span>nice </span>
  </em>
  <span>at the moment. I don’t brag about my accomplishments to make me feel amazing or to </span>
  <em>
    <span>steal </span>
  </em>
  <span>someone’s spotlight…I helped stop a psychopath, twice now, once by myself, and all you people seem to care about is who is dicking me down right now, and honestly? I’m sick of that being the only thing that defines me with you people. I am more than just a man’s support system. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>my worth!” She spun around slowly, looking around at all the reporters and Raihan. “You all think your </span>
  <em>
    <span>beloved </span>
  </em>
  <span>Champion is unbeatable? Do you? Well... that’s about to change,” She stared into one of the video cameras. “Because I challenge Champion Leon to a Pokemon Duel. My six, against his six. I’ll show all of you just how great I am, and I’ll show you… that no one is unbeatable..</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was murmuring amongst the reporters wondering if she could do that. She turned back to the original reporter that had set her off and pointed at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you, sir, can, kindly, fuck off.” She snarled, pushing through the ground, her hair flipping over her shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The reporters started frantically trying to get a question in about the duel, but Raihan held them back as he caught up to Zodi. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You all think your ‘beloved’ Champion is unbeatable? Do you? Well... that’s about to change because I challenge Champion Leon to a Pokemon Duel. My six, against his six. I’ll show all of you just how great I am, and I’ll show you… that no one is unbeatable... and you, sir, can kindly *BLEEP* off.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Leon groaned and slid down onto his couch as he watched the live newscast from his apartment in Wyndon. He had watched the entire thing and could not believe the bull shit the reporters had asked Zodi. They literally poured gasoline over the fire, and it exploded right back at them. It made him feel more awful that he never realized how much the press attacked Zodi, even when they were dating. Maybe they didn’t have the courage to ask such questions with him around her, but it made everything worse. Zodi and him were always equals in his mind. There was competition, there had always been competition between them since they were kids, but that was normal. He should have done something, he should have stood up for her or talked to her about all the press stuff. Now that was too late, and she had challenged him. He never backed down from a challenge, but this time, he didn’t want to battle Zodi. He already knew she was great, probably one of the most amazing trainers he’d ever faced and met. He didn’t understand why no one ever saw that. They just saw a connection to him and made it all about him. He hated it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His Rotom Phone chirped and flew over to him: it was the Chairman calling. He groaned and took the phone reluctantly, answering and putting the phone up to his ear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Chairman Rose…? Yes… I just watched it… sir, with all due respect, I don’t think it’s a good idea… well, she just got out of the hospital-.... Yes, I suppose it could be held at a later time, but-... yes, I understand… I don’t care about the publicity, I just want them to stop attacking her with all of the bull- I’ll do it if you do something about the press because this shit has gone on for long enough. If we do this, I want it to be equal publicity, and it all needs to be focused on the battle, not our relationship…. Thank you, sir… Yes, Chairman, you have a good afternoon as well…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leon ended the call and Rotom flew back onto the table. He groaned and laid down on the couch, covering his face with his snapback. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why is my life utter shit right…?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Spenser and Harris were talking in the kitchen when the front door was thrown open, Zodi angrily stormed upstairs with her bag over her shoulder. Raihan ducked under the door frame and gently closed the door, making eye contact with the two men who appeared concerned. He pointed upstairs in Zodi’s direction. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um… if you hear a lot of yelling, she finally snapped… and uh…” he stammered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should already know this with her, but a word of advice, don’t tell her to calm down right now…” Harris warned him, trying to save a life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pops, you know I want to live.” Raihan hurried upstairs after her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t long before they heard her bag hit the wall and Zodi frustratedly yelling. Spenser stood there, leaning against the counter, sipping his coffee. They both glanced up at the ceiling, hearing the muffled voice of Raihan and then Zodi’s muffled yelling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s a braver man than I am…” he admitted into his mug. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah…” Harris responded, staring down at his coffee. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She get that from Regina or you…?” Spenser asked, raising an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, honestly...probably a combination of both.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can definitely see that…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zodi stormed into her room and threw her bag on the bed, it slammed against the wall. She angrily yelled, gripping at her hair, her back towards the door. Raihan ducked in and walked up to her cautiously. He knew better not to touch her at the moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They have the fucking NERVE to drag me through the dirt! They fucking do this all the fucking time! I’m so fucking- UUUUUUGH!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, the press is awful, and they are all pieces of shit. I get that-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no </span>
  <em>
    <span>YOU</span>
  </em>
  <span> don’t get </span>
  <em>
    <span>ANY</span>
  </em>
  <span> of this, Raihan. You don’t understand any of this because you are you! If the press talked shit about you after a battle with Leon, you brush it off and everyone is back to loving you the next day. Me? You might as well fucking burn me at the FUCKING STAKE because I’m apparently an attention seeking whore who doesn’t amount to fucking anything!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zo, you know that’s not true.” Raihan kept his voice calm. He was not used to being the calm one for a change. It was usually Zodi doing the reasoning in these situations. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh but do I? Because apparently I’m apparently in everyone’s FUCKING SHADOW. It’s always been like this! Even when I grew up with him and did the challenge, I was constantly overlooked! I trained to the point I would break down and cry thinking I was never good enough and that I would never be able to be great like Leon! I never felt like I had to compare myself to Leon until the press started pulling that shit. Who the FUCK does that to ten year olds? Like it’s fucking shit! Then-then we started dating after the last time I battled him and all of a fucking sudden I’m only known as Leon’s girlfriend. I’m not Zodi, I’m not anyone, just his girlfriend. I never let Leon know it bothered me because at first, I was starting to become confident with the two of us being equal and that there wasn’t anything to compare anymore. But it just starts fucking building up and getting to you after you fucking suppress it for years, and it fucking makes you feel like shit.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She waited to see if he would respond. He just listened instead. She continued. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what the best part about being away from home was? I wasn’t Leon’s girlfriend overseas. I was Zodi. I was me. They all loved me. I showed them my true potential that was constantly overlooked at home in my own fucking region. You would think people would be proud of me when I came home after completing my pokedex in eight fucking regions? Oh no. That doesn’t matter because it’s not about Leon. It’s about Leon’s girlfriend. I’m just apparently supposed to be a pretty face and be the supportive girlfriend. That’s what they want me to be! That’s what they want to depict me as, and I deserve way more respect than that! All my hard work and my pokemon’s hard work </span>
  <em>
    <span>deserve </span>
  </em>
  <span>more respect than that! I am more than a piece of ass!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi was breathing heavily, finally getting all her suppressed feelings out of her system. She sat on the bed, her head spinning. Raihan stood there and processed through everything she just said before saying anything. He could tell she needed to get that off her chest and was it a lot. He crouched down and carefully rubbed her arms. She didn’t snap. She didn’t flinch away. She just gazed down at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Feel better…?” he calmly asked, raising his eyebrows softly. Zodi nodded slowly, taking a deep breath before exhaling. “Good… that’s good…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry for exploding on you…” she quietly mumbled, leaning forward, resting her forehead against his. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan smiled lightly, pulling her hair behind her ear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be sorry… it eats you up after a while.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like yelling at you…” Zodi locked eyes with his, her voice a whisper compared to her yelling moments before. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You weren’t really yelling at me… you were just angrily releasing a lot of bull shit you’ve dealt with, and I happened to be the one listening.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi laughed, kissing his forehead softly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have I told you yet today how wonderful you are…?” Zodi smiled feebly at him, stroking his cheek. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think so, but if you’re feeding the ego, I would love to hear more of that.” he teased, her smile brightening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re awful…” she laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But if anyone should be doing the hyping, it should be me hyping you up because you have no idea how many people are proud of you and know how great you are… And I’m sorry that you and others don’t see that…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hell yeah. The Leaders, Leon, your dad and Spenser, Leon’s family, my dad; they all know you’re this fucking badass who just really fucking loves pokemon. Like you’re a nerd, princess. A huge nerd when it comes to pokemon. And I can’t wait to get a snapshot of you kicking Leon’s ass in this duel match of yours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stooooop… you’re going to make me cry…” She sniffled, pushing him gently in a playful manner. He laughed, smiling brightly. “You really think I can beat him…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If anyone can beat Leon... it’s you, baby girl.” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi hi! So Zodi needs a drink, Leon needs a drink, and Raihan just wants to live basically and maybe also needs a drink, too. xD I'm really excited for what comes next.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. In My Nervous Fucking Feels</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Twenty-One</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was official: Chairman Rose made it that the  duel would be held in a month at Wyndon Stadium, giving Zodi time to recuperate after her time spent in the hospital. Everyone in Galar was hyped for the battle. Tickets had sold out in minutes when they went on sale. The last time Zodi fought in a battle against Leon was five years ago before she set off on her journey. She had tried to beat him the four years before that, but it never happened. This was different from watching Raihan and Leon’s battles. This was fresh and new. No one had ever challenged Leon publicly on live television before. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi spent her days training in Hammerlocke with Raihan, and surprisingly, Draken wanted to help her as well. She was surprised to even see the ex-Gym Leader back home, but she appreciated the help. There had been… quite a few disagreements on her team, but Zodi won after proving a point that she could not use any type advantage Pokemon with Leon’s Charizard. The Pokemon had moves against rock and water types, she had learned that the hard way years ago, and it still pissed her off more than words could describe. It was a smart strategy, but frustrating nevertheless. What he didn’t know was she had some tricks up her sleeves after years of being away and training. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She unfortunately couldn’t use her Torterra in this battle since he wasn’t a Galar Pokemon, but she kept him to help train Trevenant since it had been awhile since the last time it had battled with Zodi.. Gengar and the others worked hard with Zodi, wanting to be their best for her. She was appreciative of her team and always rewarded them with treats after their training. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was two days until the battle, and Zodi was beginning to feel the nerves kick in. She sat up in bed one night, hugging her knees, staring out the window. The moon was poking out behind the clouds as a light breeze rustled through the trees. She sighed heavily, resting her chin on her knees. Raihan’s eyes opened half way, hearing she was still awake. He glanced over at the clock on his nightstand: It read 2:33am. He rubbed his face and rolled over to face her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Baby… why are you still up…?” His voice was sleepy and his words almost slurred together at times. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She kept staring out of the window.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t sleep…” she mumbled shyly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t sleep…?” He brushed his hair out of his face before opening his arms out to her. “Come here, princess…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi shyly crawled over to him, getting back under the blanket. She rested her head on his chest, snuggling up to him. He wrapped his arm around her, pressing his lips on the top of her head. She smiled softly at how warm his skin felt and his kiss on her head. All her worries seemed to almost melt away when she was in his arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just nervous…” She admitted quietly, tracing tiny shapes on his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’s normal.” Raihan told her. “But you have to sleep too, Zo…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know… I know… I’m trying…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She wished she could shut her brain off and sleep normally. That would be the case in a perfect world. Zodi sat up a little to gaze down at his face, lit by the full moon, no longer hidden by the clouds in the sky. His eyes were still bright even in the darkness. She smiled lovingly, threading her fingers through his usually pulled up hair. Raihan was confused as to why she was looking at him that way. He flashed her a heartwarming grin, relaxing from the feeling of her playing with his hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re just very handsome…” She admitted, her face flushing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan’s smile brightened, exposing his fangs. Hearing someone genuinely call him that made him happy in more ways than one. He glanced down, feeling his face become warm. She tilted his head back up to make him look into her eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you....” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmhm… you’re welcome, baby…” Zodi leaned down and kissed him softly, the kiss lingering a few moments longer before she pulled away slowly. “Go back to sleep, baby…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He yawned and nodded, already starting to drift off again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmkay…” he sleepily mumbled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She snuggled up to him, getting comfortable again. She heard him sigh as he began to fall back to sleep, causing her to smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rai…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...I love you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled sleepily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm… I love you too, Zo…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He fell back into a deep sleep. Zodi closed her eyes and laid her head on his chest, following asleep soon after him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next day, they packed a bag and headed to Wyndon a day earlier to avoid the madness of the crowds. They were there in a matter of hours by train and had managed to get to the hotel without being noticed by too many people. They checked in and got situated in their room. Zodi could not stand still to save her life. She paced back and forth in the room. She kept wringing her hands and thinking about everything that could happen tomorrow. She believed in her team one hundred percent and had confidence they could do it, but this was her first time in five years battling in front of a whole stadium of people, televised for everyone to see. All the other Leagues in other regions were more intimate when it came to battling their Champions. Here, it was a spectator sport and audiences terrified Zodi. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan watched her pace back and forth as he sat on the bed. He was actually becoming dizzy from the amount of pacing she was doing. He eventually had to do something to stop her for both their heads. He grabbed her gently by the hand the next time she came around, pulling her onto his lap. Her eyes widened as she straddled his lap, sitting on his thighs. Raihan cupped her face, his face barely an inch from hers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, you were making me dizzy.” He told her, pecking her nose gently. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her face flushed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oops…” she smoothed out his sweatshirt, avoiding his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi, tell me what’s really making you nervous because I sure as hell no it’s not battling Leon that’s troubling you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll laugh…” She played with the drawstrings, feeling shy and vulnerable at the moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going to laugh.” He reassured her, bending his head down to get her to look him in the eyes again. She looked up at him and sighed, hugging herself and rubbing her arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All the people…” she hesitantly answered, Raihan could just barely hear her from how low her voice became. He remembered then her crippling stage fright.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… right… your stage fright…” Zodi nodded, staring down again. “Well… what you need to do before you leave the pitch… you need to take a couple of deep breaths. And then you need to...channel all your nervous energy into something positive.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Channel all my nervous energy…?” she tilted her head, curious as to what he meant by that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! I don’t know why I remember this so well, but my first Gym Challenge season as a Leader, I was a nervous wreck before going out with the other Leaders. Opal pulled me aside and told me to breathe and to use all of my nervous energy and use it as something positive. It definitely helped with my confidence after that, and the crowd fuels your energy too. They get you pumped for the match. I don’t know, I guess it’s a thing Opal and her theatre crew use when they do shows, and it works for any situation where you have a crowd of people watching you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah… I remember her telling me that one time during a camp...and for my first challenge season…” Zodi took a deep breath, gripping onto her arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, so you need to do that then and show all of Galar the badass bitch I know you are.”  This made her laugh. “Your team has your back, and they are confident in you that they can win. But you have to be confident in yourself, Zodi, because you’re bloody fantastic, and I think you’re going to have Leon running for his money tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you keep being wise and hyping me up, I’m going to have to kiss you.” Zodi told him, biting her lip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, that </span>
  <em>
    <span>could </span>
  </em>
  <span>be part of the subplot to my plan… but it only has a minor part in the scheme of things.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh huh,” She grinned, resting her arms on his shoulder as she leaned in and kissed him, biting his lip playfully. Raihan didn’t hesitate kissing her back. The kiss started out soft, but gradually became more heated and open mouthed. Zodi cupped his jaw line as Raihan’s hands found her lower back, pushing her forward, pressed against his body. Zodi let out a noise, placing her hands on his chest and broke away, trying to catch her breath. She grinned mischievously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm… not tonight, bud…” Her grin turned into a smirk when she saw him pout. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But Ghostie-” he started, but she placed a finger over his lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah ah ah…I need to ‘channel my energy’ into the battle tomorrow...” Zodi chuckled at how quiet and focused he was on her. “I’ll make you a deal, Dragon Boy… If I win tomorrow, you can wreck me all you want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And if you lose…?” Raihan hesitantly asked, waiting for her response. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not losing tomorrow.” She told him. “You’re right...I am a badass bitch, and it’s about time they met the new Zodi.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm not good with fillers, but I gave you guys a filler because I'm not just going to giiiiiive you what you want right awaaaay. Mwhaahaha</p><p>If Zodi is very back and forth with her confidence, I'm sorry, that's just who she is as a person. Also my emotions right now are all over the place so that could also be influencing everything. I'm not sure. I'm rambling. Depending on the situation, she's a boss ass bitch, or she's quiet and just wants to be left alone. </p><p>Also, I love Leon's Charizard, but also, fuck you, Charizard. I've never cussed that much at a Pokemon Game until I got to that damn battle tower. You, sir, can fucking fuck off with your perfect purple hair and your perfect methods of strategy. Just... fuck off, Leon. 😭😭😭</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. The Guardian of Spirits and The Day Leon Dreaded the Most</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I forgot to mention this in the chapter before, but as a kid who did theatre and has a degree in it, what Raihan told Zodi was a very theatre thing we would tell each other if we were nervous before shows. The fact that Opal's Gym is also a theater makes my theatre major heart really happy, and it's probably the main reason why I love Opal so much. </p><p>And without further adieu, the day... has come...</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Twenty-Two</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zodi was in the courtyard in the back of the hotel. Gengar, Lucario, Drampa, Gardevoir, Kommo-o, and Trevenant were out of their balls, looking determined and ready to fight. Zodi had her bag with her uniform in it over her shoulder. She had her snapback on backwards with a pair of dark shades on. Hands on her hips, she scanned over her pokemon and smiled proudly at them. The nerves were there, but she took a deep breath and controlled them, focusing on hyping her pokemon up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, you lot. Today is the day we show Galar what we’re truly made of. I want you to fight your hardest today, and no matter what happens, I’ll always be proud of every single one of you. Do not get discouraged because I believe in you guys, and you believe in me. We work together as one.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her pokemon nodded, Gengar smirking up at Zodi, practically bouncing back and forth. She returned them all to their Pokeballs and put them on her belt as Raihan walked out into the courtyard. He stood beside her, He eyed her and grinned, seeing a more confident side to her this morning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ready to kick ass, Ghost Girl?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You bet I am, Dragon Boy.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They started walking together when Zodi stopped. Raihan stopped and turned to see what was wrong. She seemed hesitant and conflicted over something. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s the matter, Zo?” He grasped her arms gently. She wouldn’t look up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should… maybe walk out separately… in case </span>
  <em>
    <span>they’re </span>
  </em>
  <span>out there…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both felt like someone punched them in the chest. It physically hurt and broke their hearts having to pretend they weren’t together or whatever it was they were right now. They didn’t want to hide anymore, but that was their agreement from the beginning. No one could know for now. Raihan nodded slowly, hesitantly letting her go. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you’re probably right…” he started to walk away before Zodi pulled him back, pulling him down and quickly kissed him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He held her face in his hands, then pulled away after a moment. He could just make out her troubled eyes through the tinted glass. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We won’t have to hide it soon… okay…?” she told him quietly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded, smiling lovingly down at her. He started walking away, waving back at her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He disappeared through the doors into the hotel. She waited a few minutes before she headed into the lobby and out the front doors. She was right. The press were lined up outside. She held her head up high and ignored all their questions as she walked through the mass. She got to the monorail and got it, the door shutting behind her. Everything was silent. The doors opened shortly and she stepped out. She walked up the grand stairs, staring up at the massive stadium. It had been years, but it was still just as intimidating and impressive as it always had been. She reached the top of the stairs and took a deep breath as a League Staff Member greeted her and led her to the Locker room. She had gotten there early to give her time to mentally prepare herself for what was about to go down. This was it. This was the day she was going to prove herself to all of Galar, or the day she made a complete fool of herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harris and Spenser found their seats in the stands and sat down. The crowd was already riled up and ready for the battle. The commentators were shown on the monitors, playing back old matches between Leon and Zodi from years ago, discussing what the fans could see with this battle. Harris rolled his eyes at some of the things they said about Zodi. Spenser noticed Harris had started bouncing his leg and put a hand on his knee to make him stop. Harris glanced over at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Relax, okay?” Spenser’s voice somehow managed to calm him for the moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll try, but I’m probably going to be a wreck the entire bloody time…” Harris admitted, rubbing the bridge of his nose. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harris felt someone touch his shoulder and looked up, shocked to see Regina and Cedric sitting down in the seats beside them. She smiled lightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Regina, what are you-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wanted to um… come support Zodi in person this time…” she admitted, rubbing her hands on her thighs like she always did when she was nervous. “I know I haven’t been… the most supportive, but I think our daughter needs all the support she can get… no matter what happens.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harris nodded, smiling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure she’ll appreciate that a lot…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Regina smiled then saw Spenser and frowned. Spenser rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest, both looking straight ahead at the same time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Spenser…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Regina…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All the Leaders were seated in a special box in the stands to watch the match. Only eight of them were there when Raihan walked in with his dad. He didn’t see Piers yet. Some of the others looked up and were surprised when they saw the ex-Leader. Draken gave them a small wave before following Raihan. Raihan let Draken sit beside Kabu, and took his seat beside him. Kabu glanced over and smiled brightly, seeing his old friend. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Draken, you came back.” He shook his hand before pulling him in for a hug. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draken smiled brightly, patting his friend on the back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did, old friend. It’s good to see you. I’m here to support Zodi.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that moment, Piers sauntered in with his hands in his pockets. Nessa raised her eyebrows, surprised he had even showed up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in. Piers actually showed up to an event.” Nessa teased, examining her nails. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sup, mates.” He nonchalantly greeted with a head nod.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He walked over and took his seat beside Raihan, leaning back in the chair. Gordie came over then and leaned in between them against the chairs, with a smug smirk on his face. He pulled his shades down slightly to look at Raihan. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, Raihan, did you give Zodi any tips on how to lose gracefully to Leon?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>All Raihan and Piers heard was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>whack </span>
  </em>
  <span>as Gordie yelped and rubbed the back of his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gordie.” Melony warned, displeased with her son’s behavior. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan grinned and turned around, slyly looking up at Gordie. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm, last time I checked, Gordie, I’m one of the only Leaders here to have taken out a majority of Leon’s pokemon… also, when was the last time you ever beat me in a match? Oh wait, that would be, let’s see...uuuuum, never.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draken tried to hide the grin on his face as some of the younger leaders snickered at the roast. Gordie grumbled and sat down in his seat, folding his arms across his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We all know who’s going to win.” Bea stood there beside Allister’s seat. “No matter who faces him, Leon always wins. He’s beaten her five times before. What’s different this time around?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, but everything is different this time, dearies.” Everyone turned their attention to the elderly woman. “You’re looking at her past self, you haven’t seen what she has in store now. She may just surprise all of us. There’s a reason I endorsed her all those years ago. She has potential.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you have Zodi replace you when you retire, Ms. Opal?” Milo asked from his seat, looking over at her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not enough pink, young man.” She smiled out the window, staring at the field as Chairman Rose’s voice came over the speaker and his face brought up on the monitors. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goooood afternoon, Galar! Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for!! Who is ready for </span>
  <em>
    <span>the</span>
  </em>
  <span> battle of the year??” The crowd went wild at the Chairman’s words. He waved his hands to hush the crowd. “Now, let’s hear it for our World Champion, Leon!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The music blared and the crowd went wild as Leon came out of the pitch. He raised both arms in the air, waving at the fans as they performed their chants. He smiled brightly at them, even though he was dreading this day all month. He reached the center of the field and struck his Charizard pose, the crowd going completely bonkers. He waved to one side of the stadium then to the other before standing there, waiting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Chairman spoke again, only this time the lights flickered, causing him and everyone to look around. Spectators began to murmur, wondering what was going on. Eerie music began to play underneath the Chairman’s voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, our next challenger is stepping onto this field for the first time in five years. But in that time, she has managed to beat seven Pokemon Leagues and their Champions. She has declined two Gym Leader positions in two different regions. She is known outside of Galar as the Guardian of Spirits.” The music began to intensify as fog began to creep out from the opposite pitch. “Give it up for our challenger, Zodi Celestine!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi almost seemed to appear out of nowhere through the fog. Everything felt like it slowed down in Leon’s mind when he saw her practically gliding onto the field. Her hair was pulled up in a messy victorian hairstyle. Her long, black waistcoat blew behind her, exposing her matching smokey green thigh-highs, volleyball shorts, and crop top and her knee-high black boots. The number nine printed on her shorts. Leon looked her over slowly before seeing the intense glint in her eyes as she walked towards the middle of the field. The crowd was going wild when she entered, the music blaring over the speakers. The fog began to dissipate. The Leaders in the box, however, were speechless. No one had ever seen this side of Zodi before when it came to battling. There was this air of confidence and intensity that contrasted to the shy girl they were all used to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan, Milo, and Gordie’s jaws went slack when they saw Zodi, Gordie slowly taking his sunglasses off his face. Piers looked between the three of them and facepalmed over how they all looked at the moment. Allister had jumped out of his seat and pressed himself against the glass window, completely amazed by her entrance. Nessa looked between the three guys ogling Zodi and scoffed, rolling her eyes, going back to filing her nails.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s always the goth girls…” she mumbled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You three are going to catch flies if you don’t close your mouths this minute.” Melony barked, getting a chuckle out of Draken and Kabu as the boys quickly closed their mouths.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi… looks… so… cool… I want to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>cool when I’m older…” Allister was in awe, not even caring that he was the youngest at the moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Opal smirked, clasping her hands together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope you young people are watching this carefully… you may actually learn something from this…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi made it to the middle of the field, facing Leon. She pushed her coat back to place her hands on her hips, a flash of purple fabric on the inside of her coat catching his eye. They stared into each other’s eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi, we don’t have to-” he began, but she raised her hand, cutting him off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh we’re doing this, Leon. Right here, right now. You don’t want to disappoint your fans, now do you?”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her tone was almost condescending, his eyebrows furrowing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No… I’m not going to disappoint them… because we’re gonna have an absolutely champion time.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The crowd went wild with his catch phrase, Zodi eyeing the crowd. She took a deep breath then intensely stared up at Leon with a dark grin on her lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I’ll show you a champion time, sweetheart.” The crowd ooh’d at that retort, Leon clenching his hands into fists as she turned around, heading to the back of her side of the field. He turned and walked back to his position on the field. They both turned around at the same time and faced each other. The time had come. The battle was about to begin. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>HA. Here you are with a cliffhanger. Hi, how ya doing? We have made it... to my favorite segment of the story... other than the flying taxi scene... that shit was awesome. </p><p>Thank you to everyone commenting and hyping this story up! I appreciate you all so much. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Ya kind of got a double/triple post today. I was really into writing this chapter today.</p><p>I forgot to to put this in here last night when I posted, but here is the song that is Zodi's battle entrance music: </p><p>https://youtu.be/LRznRkkfeEs</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. You've Met Your Match, Yeah, I'm No Beginner</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter title is from the XY&amp;Z Pokemon Theme song because I'm obsessed with that song, and it's totally not on the Battle Playlist I created. Ooooops. </p><p>ENJOY.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Twenty-Three</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zodi’s heart was racing as they stared at each other from opposite sides of the field. She took a deep breath. She had to stay calm and confident. She clenched her fists once before releasing the tension. They waited for the referee to wave the flag. The crowd was waiting in anticipation. The ref waved the flag. Leon grabbed his cape and tossed it to the side before pitching his first pokeball. At the same time, Zodi pushed herself up into the air, flipping backwards. In midair, she threw her pokeball before landing gracefully on her feet. Raihan slowly slid down in his chair a bit, biting down on his knuckle as he watched the battle begin. Draken glanced over at his son and raised an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You alright there, Rai?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm…” he mumbled, not taking his eyes off the field.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aegislash!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Trevenant!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both their Pokemon stood on the field, awaiting their trainers orders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Magical Leaf!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“King’s Shield!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A protective force kept Trevenant’s attack from hitting it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Use Destiny Bond followed by Will-O-Wisp!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dodge and use Shadow Ball!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Destiny Bond was faster than Leon had expected, and now Aegislash and Trevenant were bonded together if Trevenant fainted first. He gritted his teeth as Aegislash dodged the Will-O-Wisp, launching a Shadow Ball. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take the attack then vanish and use Will-O-Wisp again.” Zodi calmly told her pokemon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kabu grinned at her choice of moves, beginning to slowly put together her strategy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Trevenant stood its ground and took the Ghost attack, taking significant damage, but was still standing strong. It vanished and appeared behind Aegislash, attacking it with the Fire-Status move. Aegislash flinched from the burns. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Flash Cannon!” Leon shouted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dodge and use Hex!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Trevenant was only partially hit by the Flash Cannon and still managed to use Hex, Aegislash taking a lot of damage. Both Pokemon were breathing heavy, looking rough from the Ghost attacks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aegislash, Shadow Ball!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Magical Leaf!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi didn’t flinch when Trevenant barely managed to get its attack out as the Shadow Ball hit it. It fainted, but as soon as it did, Aegislash collapsed to the ground and fainted as well. They both returned their pokemon. The crowd was going wild as the commentators rattled on about the impressive strategy used in the first round. Leon was actually impressed and surprised by how fast she had taken down his first pokemon with her status moves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good work, Trevenant. Drampa, it’s your turn to shine, baby!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dragapult, let’s go! Shadow Ball!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let it happen, then use Blizzard.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dragapult fired a Shadow Ball at Drampa, but it did nothing when it hit. Zodi grinned when she saw the realization strike Leon’s face. Drampa unleashed it’s ice attack, a vicious snow storm blew on the field, critically hitting Dragapult. Leon grimaced. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dragon Breath! Give it all you got!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dragapult struggled to see through the raging storm and growled, releasing an intense Dragon Breath attack, hearing the frustration in Leon’s voice. Drampa didn’t see it coming and was struck hard by the super effective move. The snow ceased and Dragapult roared. Drampa roared angrily, the usual friendly pokemon was now pissed. Without Zodi saying anything, it released a Dragon Breath in retaliation. Dragapult was hit and barely hanging on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dragapult, Dragon Breath!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Draco Meteor!” Zodi was here to win, and she was feeling merciless at the moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Drampa flew up into the air and roared, meteors came soaring out of the sky, right down on Dragapult. The meteors struck as it had just released its attack, fainting from the intense dragon move. Drampa was beginning to look battered up, but he was still in it and raging. Leon quickly returned Dragapult to its pokeball and sent out Haxorus. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Iron Tail followed by Outrage!” Leon shouted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dragon Breath!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dodge it!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Drampa’s reaction time was slower because of how worn out it was getting. It fired its Dragon Breath, but Haxorus leapt in the air and struck it with its Iron Tail. It’s Outrage attack was merciless, attacking Drampa three different times, not giving it a chance to attack. It leapt back as the giant dragon pokemon collapsed, fainting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Some of the younger leaders were beginning to see what Opal had meant. Her battle tactics had improved over the years and were almost matched to Leon’s. Allister hadn’t left his spot pressed up against the window. Raihan glanced back at Gordie and smugly grinned at him. Gordie cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, averting his gaze as he crossed his arms over his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi returned the pokemon, reaching for her next pokemon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good work, baby boy. Let’s make some noise, Kommo-o!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kommo-o faced its opponent. Leon’s Haxorus was confused from its previous Outrage attack. Zodi used this to her advantage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stealth Rock then use Dragon Claw!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Poison Jab, followed by Iron Tail!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jagged rocks appeared around Leon’s team before disappearing. Kommo-o was suddenly attacking it with Dragon Claw; it was super effective. In its confusion, Haxorus’ Poison Jab missed, but it managed to land its Iron Tail attack. It didn’t do much to Kommo-o. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Outrage!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Finish it with Clanging Scales!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Haxorus hurt itself in its confused state, not seeing the next attack coming. Kommo-o’s scales beat together and he put his arms out, releasing a huge blast that knocked Haxorus out as soon as it hit. Leon returned the fallen pokemon, Zodi quickly returning Kommo-o. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good work, my friend. I may need you later as a last resort.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked across the field at Leon. No one would know he was flustered, but knowing someone for as long as Zodi, she knew it was starting to get to him. He was tense, his fingers tapping restlessly against his thigh, out of sight of the cameras and too far away for the fans to notice. Leon still had an intense look in his eyes and a small grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not losing to you that easily, Zodi. Rhyperior, let’s go!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good because I love a challenge.” She smirked, throwing out her next pokemon. Lucario! Come on, baby!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Earthquake!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dodge and use Aura Sphere.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ground began to shake violently. Lucario was faster. He leapt into the air and a blue energy formed in his hands. He growled and through the sphere at Rhyperior. It stumbled back from the hit, taking a considerable amount of damage. He flipped before landing on the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Megahorn, followed by Stone Edge!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can take the Megahorn attack, then dodge and use Retaliate!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bug-type attack hit Lucario, he stumbled back before leaping in the air to avoid the rocks rising out of the ground. Lucario ran from stone edge to stone edge, something no one had really seen done before and struck the Rhyperior with Retaliate. The strength of the blow left the pokemon unable to battle. Lucario landed and turned his head to look back at Zodi, bowing his head. She nodded, waiting for the next pokemon. Rillaboom was the next pokemon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lucario, Ice Punch!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“High Horsepower!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lucario’s Ice Punch made contact and was super effective, but Rillaboom held it together and hit Lucario full force. It was a critical hit. Lucario struggled to get back on his feet, trying desperately to stay in the fight before collapsing. Zodi called him back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, friend. Gardevoir!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You ready to give up now, Zodi?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not the one who is sweating right now. Shadow Sneak!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Drum Beating!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rillaboom began beating on its drums, roots shooting out of the ground. Gardevoir vanished, missing the attack. A dark shadow speedily crept across the field, Gardevoir striking Rillaboom from behind. It was taken aback and stumbled forward, trying to figure out where the attack came from. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lucario weakened it! Mystical Fire!!!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rillaboom, get out of the way and use Knock Off!!!” Leon shouted, almost desperately.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it was too late. A mystical fire surrounded Rillaboom and hit its target. Rillaboom managed to hit Gardevoir with the Dark Type move before it fainted. Leon was down to his final pokemon. He released Charizard. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ancient Power followed by Fire Blast!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Draining Kiss!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gardevoir wasn’t fast enough. The rocks thrown by Ancient Power did significant damage, the Fire Blast finishing Gardevoir off. Zodi had two Pokemon left, but she wanted to finish Leon off with her best ghost boy. Leon’s Dynamax Band glowed as he returned Charizard to its Pokeball. The ball began to grow and grow. He smirked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess it’s time to Gigantamax, Charizard!” he shouted, throwing the ball into the air. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charizard was released and grew until he towered over the field in his magnificent form, roaring loudly. Zodi’s Dynamax Band glowed as she grabbed her next Pokeball, it began to grow in her hand. She smirked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, it’s time for the grand finale. Gengar, Gigantamax!!!” She threw the enlarged pokeball onto the field and released Gengar. It appeared nothing came out when suddenly Gengar poked his head out of ground, his mouth agape, roaring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Allister gasped, reaching back to hit Bea on the leg after seeing Gengar. Bea smiled down at him and patted him on the head as they watched. Raihan was bouncing his leg, wringing his hands. Harris was a nervous wreck, grabbing Spenser’s hand out of nowhere, needing to hold onto something. Spenser jumped and glanced down at his hand before relaxing, holding his hand, squeezing reassuringly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“G-Max Wildfire!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait for it…” Zodi told Gengar. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The attack landed, hitting Gengar. It didn’t do much damage. Everyone, including Leon, was shocked. That move usually did a number on most pokemon he faced. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-what? It barely did anything…” Bea stood there dumbfounded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Occa berries.” Allister continued watching, sitting on his bottom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What was that, sweetheart?” Melony inquired, eyeing the young boy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi’s Gengar likes Occa berries. It also helps Pokemon become more resistant towards Fire Type attacks.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Max Phantasm followed by G-Max Terror!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The double attack hit Charizard hard, making it stumble back. The G-Max Terror left the pokemon startled and unable to leave. It was starting to breath heavily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“G-Max Wildfire, again!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Max Knuckle!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fire-bird attacked Gengar again as a large fist came from the sky, punching Charizard. Both Pokemon had taken damage, but they weren’t about to give up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Max Airstream!!!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Max Lightning!!!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A massive storm cloud formed over head, thunder cracking and booming as lightning gathered in the center. Charizard reared back and a huge stream of air began to rapidly spin. Both attacks hit simultaneously, a huge explosion going off. A large cloud of dust and smoke filled the stadium, no one able to see the pokemon on the field. The entire stadium was silent as they waited for the dust to settle. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>GUYS. THERE WAS SO MUCH LEG BOUNCING AND LIKE A SHIT TON OF PERFORMANCE ANXIETY WITH THIS CHAPTER AS I WAS WRITING IT. I'm literally shaking so bad, omg. </p><p>I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you enjoyed another cliff hanger. MWAHAHAHA.</p><p>Also, I don't know how berries work in the anime, but Occa Berries do make the pokemon who eat it, it like halves the amount of damage of fire type moves. So like... I rolled with it. OKAY BYE FOR NOW.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. And The Winner Is...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Drum roll please...</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Twenty-Four</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone was silent. You could hear a pin drop. It was almost like everyone was holding their breath. Harris clenched his eyes shut praying to Arceus that this would turn out good for Zodi. He felt almost sick thinking about all the fallout if she lost, how humiliated she would feel. He gripped onto Spenser’s hand tighter. Regina was gripping tightly onto Cedrics thigh, staring down at the field. Raihan’s Rotom Phone had flown out of his pocket without him knowing. He stared out into the field, gripping onto his dad’s wrist. All the leaders waited, staring in shock from the blast. The smoke began to clear, the field becoming visible again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charizard was unconscious, back in his normal state. Gengar was still standing in his Dynamax form. The referee approached Charizard then raised his flag in the air. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Charizard is unable to battle! Gengar wins!” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I don’t believe it, folks! Zodi Celestine has defeated Champion Leon with two pokemon remaining! Wow! What a show!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>The commentator shouted over the speakers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leon’s eyes widened as he grabbed his snapback and pulled it down over his face, shaking. The crowd went wild. Rotom took the photo and quickly flew back into Raihan’s pocket. He practically leaped out of his chair, grabbing at his head excitedly. He had the biggest smile on his face from how proud he was of her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She did it! She actually did it!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi won!!!” Allister shouted excitedly, hopping to his feet running over to Raihan. “Mr. Raihan! Mr. Raihan! She won! She won! She did it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan picked him up and ruffled his hair, his smile never leaving his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah she did, buddy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piers stared out onto the field, his smile gradually becoming bigger. The other Leaders stared in awe and shock as Draken sat there with a smirk on his face. That was the Zodi who beat him all those years ago. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Regina, Cedric, Harris, and Spenser jumped up and hollered excitedly. Regina and Harris hugged each other quickly staring down at their girl proudly. He turned to Spenser and grabbed him by the shoulders, his face beaming. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fucking hell, she won! My baby won!” Without thinking, he grabbed Spenser by the face and kissed him. Spenser’s eyes widened before he returned the kiss. Harris pulled away and they stared at each other, both their faces red. They quickly faced forward, Spenser rubbing the back of his head, clearing his throat. Harris rubbed the back of his neck, sitting down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi stood there on the field in complete shock. She slowly circled the spot she was in, eyeing the audience as they chanted her name. She faced forward again, the adrenaline coursing through her veins made her tremble, fearing if she moved anymore that she would fall over. Gengar shrunk back to his normal size. He saw Zodi in the state she was in and quickly vanished and appeared beside her, nuzzling up against her side. She shook out of her stupor and glanced down at the pokemon, realizing they had won. She crouched down and hugged Gengar tightly before pulling away, covering her mouth with her hands. Her eyes were beginning to tear up. After the one month of stress and training, and all the years of hard work, she finally did it. She finally beat Leon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did it, buddy... We did it…”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gengar bounced around and swirling around her, bouncing back and forth on his feet. She returned him to his Pokeball and slowly stood up, turning her head as Leon was returning Charizard to his Pokeball. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did well, buddy…” He smiled feebly at the Pokeball, putting it on his belt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both walked to the center of the field. Leon was struggling to look at her. They stopped. Zodi could see he was shocked and crushed. She didn’t want to do this to him, but she had to do this for her. He extended his hand out for her to shake, but instead, she took her earpiece out that let everyone hear what she was saying. Leon furrowed his brow, wondering what she was doing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zodi, what are you-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Take your earpiece out. We need to talk.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here…?” He eyed the stadium full of people, before hesitantly taking his earpiece out. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What’s this? Both trainers have taken their earpieces out. Can you hear anything, George?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The crowd started to hush again.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No, not a word, Stan.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to talk now before we go out there…This was nothing against you, Lee…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? Because it sure as hell felt personal.” He folded his arms across his chest, staring down at the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lee… I’m sorry, I just- I’m just tired of everyone comparing me with you… It’s been like that since we were kids, and it never bothered me until I came home… and everyone still treated me like I was nothing compared to you… I just wanted to show them I’m more than just your ex-girlfriend...that I’m just me…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She waited for a response. He was listening quietly. He took a deep breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I should have-I should have seen sooner they were doing that to you… I just always felt we were equals, you and I. I’ve always thought you were one of the best…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you did… I know… Leon, I know I said a lot of mean things to you and things ended poorly between us...but uh-” Her eyes were tearing up as she brought her hand up to wipe a tear away quickly. “But I’ve always valued our friendship, even when we were dating and even now...I mean- you were my first best friend.” She let out a choked laugh. “Like I’ve known you my whole life, and I don’t think I could go on the rest of my life without you in my life as a friend. You’re practically my family, and I love you very dearly...but I don’t love you the way I love Raihan...anymore…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leon sighed, nodding slowly. He turned to walk off the field toward the pitch, but she quickly grabbed his wrist, pulling him back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Leon, please… hear me out, please. Nothing happened when we were together… you have to believe me...Raihan and I would never do that to you… we care about you so much. We aren’t… really together right now because we didn’t- we didn’t want people to know, and we didn’t want to hurt you... You’re our best friend, and he never wanted to hurt you. He just wanted you to talk to him. I’m not blaming you, please don’t think I’m blaming you… You don’t have to forgive me, but please… stop fighting with Rai… I didn’t do all of this to get back at you, I’m not even mad at you anymore. I don’t want to be the Champion of Galar, I never wanted that because- because Galar already has an amazing Champion. And that’s you, Lee…Hell, I don’t even know what I want to do with my life anymore. I just wanted people to stop looking down at me… and-and I want my best friend back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears streamed down her face as she choked on a sob. Leon gazed down at her, stepping up to her, grabbing her face gently. He wiped her tears away with his thumbs, making her look up at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Zo, I’m sorry for all the things I did that hurt you…a lot of what you said-” He took a deep breath. “I was insecure and stupid and… jealous… and I messed up… but I don’t want you guys torturing yourselves like that because of me. It might hurt a lot, at first, but I’ll be alright… You need to put your happiness first…” Zodi smiled, choking on sobs. She threw her arms around his waist tightly, burying her face into his chest. Leon enveloped her in his arms, kissing the top of her head, holding her close. “Plus… you can’t get rid of me that easily, Ghostie…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She laughed into his chest, wiping her eyes, pulling back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, until you lose me in a crowd, then what?” she teased. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You guys really won’t let me live that down.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled and rolled his eyes, shaking his head lightly as they both put their earpieces in. She grabbed her hand and raised it above their heads, presenting the victor. The crowd began cheering again, Zodi unable to stop smiling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Leon and Zodi walked out into the lobby, still in their uniforms, after they had healed their pokemon; swarms of people and press waiting. Zodi saw her family and had to stop when she saw her mom. She walked over to them. Regina saw her walking their way and rubbed her hands on her thighs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, sweet-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was cut off by Zodi hugging both her and Harris tightly around the neck. Regina smiled brightly and they hugged their daughter back. Harris stroked her hair, kissing the top of her head. She pulled away, looking between them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You-you all came?” she stuttered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, sweetheart.” Harris smiled, brushing a wisp of Zodi’s hair behind her ear. “We wanted to support you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think your father needed the extra support, though.” Regina glanced over at him, grinning. “He was a nervous wreck the entire match.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no I was not.” Harris cleared his throat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell that to my hand.” Spenser teased. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi laughed at how flustered her dad was. Leon smiled as he watched her interact with her family. The Leaders made their way out of the stadium, and he saw Raihan walk through the doors with Draken. He politely pushed through the people, heading in that direction. Raihan and Draken stopped when Leon approached. They hadn’t spoken since the hospital. Draken noticed the awkward tension between the two, clearing his throat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leon, it’s good to see you again. That was quite an impressive match.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, sir. It’s good to see you as well, sir.” He hesitated. “Do you mind if I speak with Raihan?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, go ahead.” He stepped away, walking over towards Zodi and her family. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stood there quietly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Raihan- I’ve been an ass.” Leon admitted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We kind of both were.” Raihan shoved his hands in his pockets. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…” They were quiet again. “Look, I really don’t want to lose my best mate over a girl who could kick both our asses.” Raihan chuckled. “If you make Zodi happy, then that’s alright with me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean that?” Raihan lifted his head to look down at his friend, not sure if he heard him right. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I mean that…” He grinned, glancing up at him. “Just as long as you don’t break her heart like my dumbass self.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t plan on it… plus you hit hard...like damn bro.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leon chuckled and put his hand out. Raihan took it and brought him in for a hug, patting him on the back, smiling. They pulled away, Raihan looking in Zodi’s direction. Leon nodded his head in her direction, smiling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go on, mate.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan weaved through the crowd, making his way towards her. She turned around as she was talking to the others and saw him. She smiled brightly and stepped forward when he finally got to her and swooped her off her feet. She squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly as he spun her around. She giggled when he placed her down on her feet, he grabbed her face gently. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were bloody brilliant, Zodi!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her cheeks flushed, resting a hand on top of his. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-you think so?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you kidding? Of course I think so! I’m proud of you, ba-” he stopped himself. “Can I kiss you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you-” She glanced over at Leon, he smiled at her before continuing his conversation with the Leaders. She smiled brightly then looked into Raihan’s eyes, nodding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan leaned down and pressed his lips hard against hers, wrapping his arms around her waist. She reached up on her tiptoes, her arms snaking around his neck, pulling him closer. Everyone around them stared in surprise. They pulled away, keeping their faces close. Raihan smiled, kissing her forehead and cheek, hugging her tightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you keeping this uh...outfit on?” He whispered into her ear, grinning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi smirked, snickering. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Depends. Do you like it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like it is an understatement…” he admitted, kissing her temple. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm… it can stay on… for now.” She grinned up at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… are evil…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nuzzled his face in her neck, getting a giggle out of her as she ran her fingers through his tied back hair. She bit her lip, knowing she was in for it the moment they were alone. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Y'all, this was such a weird chapter to write and guys are really weird when it comes to admitting shit so like they be awkward but bros again! </p><p>Also, we have a few more chapters until the end of this story. Big sad :( But I'm actually going to be working on one shots for ideas that didn't fit into the story, so you'll definitely be getting more Zodi and maybe more Pokemon Stories. ;) I don't know, yo. 💁🏻</p><p>I forgot to mention this when I posted yesterday, but the next chapter may be delayed! I got asked to do a Zoom Reading for Richard III for Thursday night, and I'll be focusing on studying that, and I'm escaping to my friend's Friday into Saturday.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Get Wrecked</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi, so this chapter is literally smut and fluff. Probably NSFW. Just saying.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Twenty-Five</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They were not checking me out.” Zodi laughed, stepping into their hotel room later that night. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan followed, ducking under the door, shutting it behind them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you saaay so.” He grinned, pulling off his sweatshirt and headband, draping it over a chair before sitting at the end of the bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m too ‘goth’ for Gordie and Milo, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Zodi dropped her gym bag on the floor, shrugging her waist coat off, putting it with his sweatshirt. She stood in front of the mirror and started taking her bobby pins out of her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But they still can appreciate a beautiful woman when they see one.” Raihan kicked his shoes off then glanced over at Zodi, his eyes looking her over slowly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t tell with the coat on earlier, but her uniform hugged her body, showing off her curves. He bit his lip, thinking about all the things he could do to her beautiful body. His thoughts were interrupted when Zodi continued talking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beautiful? In this uniform? I mean, thank you, but I look sexy as shit in this.” Her hair fell down on her back, combing it out with her fingers before dumping the pins in her bag. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean...yes, you’re very-” He stopped talking when she walked over to him and brought her foot up and placed it on the bed next to him. She grinned cheekily at him as she unzipped her boot, setting it back on the floor, stepping out of it. “Very… sexy…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why thank you, darling.” She brought her other leg up and did the same with the other boot, stepping out of it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re...welcome…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rai, you o-eep!” She squealed and giggled as he pulled her onto his lap, his lips on her neck and running his hands over her exposed skin. She moaned softly, tilting her head to the side, a smirk crept onto her lips. “Mm, nevermind. Someone is perfectly fine…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A deal’s a deal…” Raihan hummed against her skin, sucking lightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that so?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sank his sharp canines into her neck, a sharp gasp escaping her lips. He smirked, resting his hands on her ass, pulling her flush against him. He trailed his lips back up her jaw and ghosted them over her lips. She whimpered softly, leaning forward to kiss him but Raihan’s hand, wrapping around her throat and squeezing gently, stopped her. A dark chuckle resonated in his chest as his eyes locked with hers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m the one wrecking you tonight, sweetheart…” He squeezed her throat again, Zodi moaning from the feeling of his hand around her throat. “Remember?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mhm...yes, baby…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You going to be a good girl for me, or are we going to have trouble…?” His voice was huskier, causing Zodi to bite her lip. She shook her head lightly, keeping her eyes on his. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be a good girl…” she mumbled quietly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm… that’s a good girl…” He released her neck, pulling her shirt over her head then laid her down on the bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan kissed her before his lips trailed down her neck to her chest, slowly making his way down her body. He got to the waistband of her shorts and glanced up at her, smirking against her skin. He hooked his fingers around the fabric, pulling her shorts and panties off, getting down on the floor on his knees. Zodi’s eyes widened as she watched him, gasping when he grabbed her legs, pulling her closer to the edge of the bed. Raihan chuckled darkly, brushing his lips down her inner thigh. His eyes flicked up at her face before he leaned forward, working his tongue on her clit, wrapping his arms around her legs. Zodi moaned, throwing her head back, her back arching. He rested his hands on her stomach, pinning her hips down on the bed as he swirled his tongue around her clit, smirking against her as he heard the noises she made. He slipped a finger into her, taking his time thrusting it into her. She grabbed at his hair, trying to stay quiet. She was feeling herself become undone when Raihan pulled away, a whine escaping her lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, no… please don’t stop…” she pleaded breathily, watching him as he pulled his shirt off, tossing it aside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smirked darkly from her pleas before going back down on her, sucking hard, spreading her legs further apart. She cried out, gripping at the bedsheets, her hips bucking up. His fingers dug into her thigh as his other hand traveled up her body, cupping and squeezing one of her breasts. He moaned against her before pulling away, standing up. He pulled off his shorts, crawling onto the bed. Zodi scooted back some, staring up at him as he hovered over her. He pushed her down on the bed, kissing her hard, threading his long fingers through her hair, moaning into her mouth, her taste still on his tongue. Her hands roamed down his body, taking his cock in her hand, stroking it. Raihan groaned, breaking away from her lips, his hand gripping her neck again, squeezing. A moan escaped her mouth, his tongue running over his bottom lip. He leaned down, barely an inch from her face; Zodi looking completely desperate. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell me what you want…” His dark tone sent shivers down her body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want you to fuck me…” she mumbled quietly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that…” He squeezed her throat again, getting another moan out of her. “Say it...louder…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Baby...I want you to fuck me…” She answered louder this time, never taking her eyes off his. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beg…” he cockily smirked, a wicked glint in his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She whimpered, pouting. She was normally not one to beg, but he was using all her weaknesses against her, making her want him more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please…” She feebly attempted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said beg…” He growled lightly, brushing his lips against hers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Baby, please… I want you to fuck me… fuck me, daddy…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her eyes widened as she quickly covered her mouth, realizing what she just said. Raihan stared down at her, taken aback for a moment before his shock was replaced with a cocky smirk and almost animalistic growl rumbling in his chest. He gently moved her hand away from her mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Say that again…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“F-Fuck me, daddy…I want you to fuck me, daddy…I need you...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan couldn’t control himself any longer. He guided himself and entered her completely, giving her a moment to adjust. She moaned loudly, arching her back. He started thrusting hard and at a medium pace. She ran her hands over his chest and shoulders before he grabbed her wrists, putting her arms above her head. Zodi’s legs wrapped around his waist, feeling him thrust deeper inside her. His grip loosened on her wrists, his hands running down her arms to her body, feeling every inch of her as he could. Leaning down, he sucked and bit into her skin, leaving a trail of marks along her chest, up to her neck. She cursed under her breath, pulling at his hair in retaliation. Hearing him groan made her smirk. She was going to look rough in the morning, but she didn’t care at the moment. She could feel herself coming undone again, gripping tightly onto his shoulders. Raihan could tell she was close, purposefully slowing down to an agonizingly slow pace. She whined, arching her back, staring up at him desperately. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Daddy, no…no no no… I was gonna cum…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope, I don’t think so.” He teased, grinning darkly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But why…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s cute watching you squirm…plus… you cum when I say you can…understood…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi nodded slowly. He kissed her briefly before his pace picked up again, faster and harder than before. She cried out, clawing down his back, feeling the build up in the pit of her stomach again. Her breathing was heavier, feeling him start to twitch deep inside her. Raihan grabbed her chin gently, making her look him in the eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where you want me to cum, baby?” His eyes never left hers for a moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Inside me…” She whimpered quietly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t hear you, Zodi…” He tsked, threading his fingers through her hair, grabbing and pulling it enough to get a moan out of her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rai...baby… I want you to cum inside me… please…? Baby, please…?” Her desperate pleas created a wicked smirk on Raihan’s face, exposing his fangs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Such a good little cum slut… didn’t even need to tell you to beg… good girl… you gonna cum for daddy, then…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, daddy-” She barely got the words out before he started pounding into her mercilessly. She cried out, feeling herself about to cum. He groaned, feeling himself losing control. “Baby, can I cum? Please?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes- fuuuuuck.” He groaned, releasing his load deep inside her, burying his face into her neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi gasped, clenching around him as she climaxed, wrapping her arms around his neck, holding him close to her. His thrusts came to a slow stop, both their breathing labored. His arms snaked around her waist and hugged her tightly, lightly kissing at her neck. Zodi threaded her fingers through his hair, kissing the side of his head. He smiled against her skin, his kisses making their way to her face, kissing all over her face, causing her to giggle. He kissed her softly, her hands gently touching his face. He pulled away, brushing her hair out of her face. He couldn’t get over how beautiful she was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm… was that payback for the other week?” she mumbled, grinning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe…” He admitted, snickering. “So I’m daddy now, huh?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi’s face was flushed, glaring jokingly up at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t expect me to be so submissive next time, mister…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eh, I know your weaknesses now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckled and got off her and off the bed before walking into the bathroom. Zodi heard the shower start up then a few moments later, Raihan walked back out, heading towards the bed. He picked her up, cradling her, her arms instantly going around his neck. He walked back into the bathroom and set her down gently on the counter, taking, what was remaining, her clothing off. Zodi felt small and bashful from how sweet and gentle he was when taking care of her. Raihan quickly kissed her on the forehead, smiling down at her before picking her up and getting into the shower, setting her down. The warm water felt nice on her skin as they washed themselves up. Zodi kept glancing over at Raihan, and smiled. He caught her staring and raised an eyebrow curiously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing… you’re just really handsome and sweet…” she bashfully looked away, covering her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, nooo. Where did that beautiful face go?” He leaned forward, poking her in the sides, her hands quickly going to her sides in a fit of giggles. He smiled brightly and stole a quick kiss. “There it is.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She quickly grabbed his face and softly pecked his lips a few times, the kisses lingering longer each time. She gently pushed him against the shower wall, his arms wrapping around her. She smiled up at him, resting her forehead against his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re cute now, but you’re in big trouble in the morning if my neck and chest are covered in marks…” Raihan laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. “Oh no… how bad is it…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, uh… I definitely recommend… covering it up…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You… are in so much trouble, mister… so… much...trouble…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I be in trouble in the morning…?” he hesitantly asked, a soft glint in his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She softened from his expression and sighed heavily, rolling her eyes playfully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess so.” She dramatically answered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They finished in the shower and got out, drying off before getting into their night clothes. They got under the covers, Zodi snuggling up to his side as soon as he was comfortable. She nuzzled her face into his chest, sighing contentedly, sleep beginning to take over. Raihan pressed his lips against her forehead, holding her close. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m very proud of you, Zo…” he whispered quietly to her, seeing she was almost asleep. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really…?Thank you…” she quietly mumbled, draping her arm over his chest. “Mm.. g’night, baby… I love you…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good night, princess… I love you too…”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, y'all wanted bold. I hope this was okay. I didn't not send this to my friend before posting it, so I'm so sorry if it sucks. Lol I hope you guys enjoyed it. I'm going to go crawl under a rock now.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Carry On</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Last chapter before the epilogue...</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Chapter Twenty-Six</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next day, Harris, Zodi, Raihan, and Spenser stood outside the Wyndon Train Station. It was the day Spenser was heading back to Fiore. His Fearow waited patiently for him as they stood there, finding it hard to find the words to say good-bye. Spenser smiled sadly as Zodi stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into his neck. He held her tightly. He stepped back and held her face gently in his hands, stroking her hair out of her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, kid, you cease to amaze me.” He told her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you really have to go…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spenser glanced over at Harris quickly; he hadn’t stopped staring at the ground. He looked back at Zodi, the same sad smile on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, kiddo… I have to get back… You take care of your dad, alright?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded slowly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bye Spense…” She walked over to Raihan and laid her head against him, Raihan wrapping his arm around her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See ya, kid…” He looked at Raihan. “Raihan, keep her out of trouble. She has a tendency to find trouble anywhere she goes.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This got a small chuckle out of Zodi and a grin from Raihan. He nodded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll try my best, sir.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spenser nodded then faced Harris, the two men stood there silently for a moment. Zodi looked between the two and grabbed Raihan’s hand, pulling him away to give them a moment. Harris finally looked at Spenser. It wasn’t easier for either of them to say good-bye after the amount of years they had known each other, especially now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess… this is good-bye again, my friend...” Spenser started, rubbing the back of his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess so…” Spenser looked as though he was about to say something after Harris, but he thought against it, turning away to walk over to his Fearow. Harris grabbed his hand quickly. Spenser stopped, staring down at the ground. “Spenser… I don’t want you to go.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He waited for a response. Spenser turned his head slightly but didn’t say a word. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Spense, you and I both no I’m far from perfect… Married and had a kid young, lost two of my best friends, tried escaping my old life, a failed marriage… But I don’t think I could live with myself denying that I want to be with you- that I’ve-that I’ve always wanted to be with you… since we were in the academy...I just didn’t realize it until yesterday… I don’t want you to walk away from your life in Fiore; I would never ask you to do that...but I can’t deny that there’s something going on between us, or that could just be me hoping you feel the same... ” Harris hesitated for a moment. “Safe travels, my friend…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harris hesitantly let go of his hand and looked to where Zodi and Raihan were, heading over to them. Spenser glanced down at his hand, not wanting him to let go. He walked over to his Fearow and went to mount it before he stopped. Fearow cawed and nuzzled his head against his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Harris.” Spenser called after him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harris turned around and was met with Spenser grabbing his face gently, pressing his lips against his. His eyes fluttered shut, his hands threading through Spenser’s hair, pulling him flush against him. Raihan’s eyes widened, not seeing that coming as Zodi jumped up and down excitedly, clapping her hands. Spenser pulled away after a while, resting his forehead against Harris’s. He smiled, gazing into his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You think you’re getting rid of me that easily, Celestine, you got another thing coming…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to figure things out in Fiore, so I can be with you… I’ve always wanted to be with you, Harris…” Spenser quickly kissed him again before walking back to his Fearow, mounting it. “Don’t miss me too much while I’m gone.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harris shook his head, chuckling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spenser smirked and winked. Fearow cawed and shot up in the sky, flying away. Harris wet his lip and bit it before walking over to Zodi and Raihan. He had the biggest grin on his face. Zodi skipped over to him and hugged his arm, walking with him and Raihan into the train station. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeeeeeees, Spenser is my new step daaaaaad.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dear Arceus… what am I going to do with you…?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harris sighed heavily before he chuckled, kissing the top of her head as they headed for the platform to get on the train to go home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had been three days since the match. Zodi was back home in Wedgehurst. Leon had called her the night before asking her to meet her at the lab in town in the morning. It was pretty early still as she quietly crept downstairs. Everyone else was still asleep. She carefully closed the door behind her and headed to the lab. It was a beautiful day outside and not many people were out and about yet. Leon was waiting for her outside when she arrived. He raised an eyebrow, noticing the type of shirt she was wearing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you wearing a turtleneck?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You and Raihan are very similar in certain categories.” She grumbled, pushing him gently. “Let’s just leave it at that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leon tried to hide a grin and shook his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay then. Good to know.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s up? You seemed pretty excited over the phone last night.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come with me.” He walked up to the door of the lab and held it open for her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi still wasn’t sure what was going as she walked inside, Leon following behind her. He led her further into the lab. Professor Magnolia was waiting for them at her desk. The elderly woman smiled and stood up to greet them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning, my dears. It has been awhile since the two of you were here last.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning, Professor.” Zodi politely nodded her head. “It really has been awhile.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It has. You’ve grown as a trainer since then, both of you. I’m quite impressed, especially with you, Zodi. I finally finished processing all the research you picked up from the other regions last night, and it’s probably the most thorough information collected in my days as a professor.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, why, thank you, ma’am.” Her face was hot as she began to wring her hands. “That means a lot. You know how much I love Pokemon.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do indeed, for that is why when Leon called me and proposed this idea to me, I thought it would be perfect for you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Idea…? I don’t follow.” Zodi looked between the professor and Leon, still confused as to what was happening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Magnolia smiled up at Zodi. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want you to work for me as a Pokemon Specialist.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi was speechless. Her mouth hung open slightly, struggling to process the Professor’s words. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You-you want me to work for you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I want you to be our specialist and represent my lab in the league. Your knowledge of pokemon and all the research you’ve collected could open doors in the future to allow foreign pokemon to be brought into Galar. You would be able to give lectures and inform people on how to treat pokemon.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You would also get to monitor battles, check on people’s pokemon after matches, assist the Gym Leaders, and even challenge Challengers in order to see how they are progressing.” Leon added. “I spoke to the Chairman the day after our match, and he thought it was a brilliant idea to add you to the team.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I don’t know what to say…” Zodi stammered, a smiling creeping onto her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t want anyone else, other than my Sonia, to represent this lab.” Magnolia warmly admitted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I would love to! Oh my gosh!” She hugged Magnolia suddenly. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The older woman was startled but quickly recovered, patting her on the back. Zodi pulled away and quickly rested a hand on Leon’s opposite cheek, pulling him down to kiss him on the cheek. He smiled brightly, rubbing the back of his head.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are literally the best! When do you want me to start?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can start tomorrow,” Magnolia told her, smiling brightly at her excitement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my Arceus! Thank you so much! I won’t disappoint you, I promise. Oh my gosh! I need to tell dad and Spenser! And Raihan! Oh my gosh! I’ll see you tomorrow, Professor!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Magnolia had never seen Zodi run so fast out of a building before, and it made her chuckle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh to be your age again. You all can’t stand still, even now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess some things never change.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi popped her head back into the lab. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leon! Come on! You’re going to get lost!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leon groaned, shaking his head. He smiled at the Professor and nodded politely. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see you around, Professor.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good bye, Leon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She watched Leon run after Zodi, Zodi smiling and bolting down the road ahead of him. Magnolia chuckled, shaking her head as she walked back over to her desk. They both ran out the door the same way they did ten years ago with the same passion and love for pokemon as they did then. It warmed the Professor’s heart, seeing how far they had all come on their journeys. It was everything she ever wanted for them. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So this chapter made me emotional because it's the last chapter before the ending epilogue. There will be plenty of new Pokemon stories coming your way, but this has definitely been a great adventure, and I'm very sad that it's ending. Thank you so much for everyone who has read it and commented on it. Almost hitting 900 hits, and I'm so happy for each and everyone of you reading this and supporting this story during a really rough time. Thank you so much.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Epilogue</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A Year and a Half Later</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The alarm clock echoed loudly throughout the bedroom. Zodi groaned, sprawled out on her side of the bed. She reached her body over Raihan’s sleeping form, hitting the button. She laid there on Raihan for a moment before sitting up looking down at him. He was laying on his stomach, his arms hugging his pillow. She smiled lovingly, leaning down to kiss his cheek. He hummed softly in his sleep. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Baby, it’s time to get up… It’s opening day.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm… five more minutes…” Raihan mumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Darling… we have to get ready and get to Motostoke.” She laid gentle kisses along his shoulder and slowly up his neck, getting a sigh from him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You keep that up, and I’ll risk being late...They can do the ceremony without me…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi giggled at his husky, sleepy voice, kissing his cheek again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope. It’s my ‘first day.’ Time to get up.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Raihan groaned and slowly got up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine…” He sleepily pecked her on the lips before they both got ready for the day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both had their uniforms on. They stepped outside, locking the house up. Zodi turned to Raihan and smiled up at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We taking the train or flying?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Psh. It’s your first day. We’re flying. We’re extra in this house.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took a pokeball off his belt and threw it, releasing Salamence. It roared and looked at Raihan and Zodi happily, excited to get out. They hopped onto its back and flew off towards Motostoke. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The stadium was practically roaring from the amount of excitement from the audience. It was a new Gym Challenge Season with new and old challengers ready to take on the Leaders. The monitors showed two commentators and Zodi seated in a booth, Zodi excitedly smiling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Welcome to this year’s Gym Challenge! We’re your hosts George and Stan, and we’re here with Zodi Celestine, our newest member to the league. How are you doing today, Zodi? It’s great to have you with us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m doing great! Thank you. I’m excited to be here with you all.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, Zodi, can you tell the fans what you’ll be doing throughout the Challenge Season?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course. So basically I’ll be making sure everyone’s pokemon are in tip-top shape, I’ll be able to give advice if anyone needs it, and I may or may not be assisting the higher level Gym Leaders and even challenging the Challengers along the way. Depends on how I feel that day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like these Challengers are going to have their work cut out for them this year, folks.” Stan chuckled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If they want to beat the Champion, they’ll have to prove to me they can by defeating me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re beginning to sound like our Champion and Leader Raihan.” George added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’ve known them all my life, George. They are awful influencers.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Speaking of our Champion, what thoughts do you have on our Champion endorsing not just one, but two Challengers this year?” Stan inquired, looking over at Zodi. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Our champion must see potential in these two young kids. Leon knows what he’s doing.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, folks, here’s our Chairman, ready to begin the Opening Ceremony!” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Ladies and gentlemen! I am Rose, chairman of the Pokemon League! I know that everyone gathered here… and everyone watching from home have all been waiting for this big moment! It is my pleasure to announce that finally- the Galar region Gym Challenge will now begin! Yes, the Gym Challenge! Participants must defeat the ten Gym Leaders… and gather the ten Gym Badges to prove their skills as a Trainer! Only the most worthy will have the honor of challenging the greatest Champion in history! Now, I would like to invite the Gym Leaders to show themselves!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The Leaders began to walk out in formation from the pitch, heading towards the center of the field. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“The fighting farmer! Here’s the Grass-type expert, Milo! The raging wave! It’s the master of Water-types, Nessa! The ever-burning man of fire! Here comes the Fire-type veteran, Kabu! The Galar karate prodigy! Nobody’s better with Fighting-types than Bea! The silent boy of mystery! Allister, friend to Ghost-types! The master of a fantastic theater! It’s the charming Fairy-type user, Opal! The hard-rock crusher! Please welcome the Rock-type master, Gordie! The ice-cold professional! Please welcome the Ice-type master, Melony! And last but not least, the tamer of dragons...It’s Raihan, the top Gym Leader! Unfortunately, we’re missing one, but… these are the Gym Leaders that we in the Galar region are proud to call our own!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Zodi saw Raihan leading the Leaders onto the field and couldn’t help but smile brightly at him. He scanned the audience and had a grin on his face, waving at the crowd. He appeared so much happier than he had the Challenge year before, and it brought joy to her heart. She finally felt happy and not alone anymore. Everything felt right for once. Raihan glanced up at the booth Zodi was in and flashed his fanged smile, blowing a kiss up to her, not caring one bit what anyone had to say about it. Zodi laughed lightly, knowing one day she was going to marry that man. George noticed how happy she seemed and how focused she was on the field below. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You seem happier.” He told her, smiling genuinely. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have everything I wanted...and I’m just the happiest girl in the world.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>134 pages later...This was short... kind of lame, but I felt it was a nice ending... but that's the end of this tale, folks. Thank you all so much for reading this. I'm excited for my next fan fiction I will be working on. I hope you guys will check that one out, and keep an eye out for the one shots! All your favorites in this story will be in there!</p><p>Also, I could have put this on the last chapter, but I hate even numbers so that's a thing.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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